Cleveland, Ohio – A Cleveland man who prosecutors say helped run a dangerous fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation out of his grandmother’s basement has now been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison, closing one chapter in a case that exposed just how close deadly narcotics can be to ordinary neighborhoods.
Darnell Kief Beckham Bell, 34, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 190 months in prison, which equals 15 years and 8 months, by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams. The sentence came after a jury convicted Bell in September of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. In addition to the prison term, Bell was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, meaning his punishment will continue long after he leaves federal custody.
Authorities said the case stemmed from a wider investigation into suspected drug trafficking in Northeast Ohio, especially fentanyl, which has been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths across the region…