A Portsmouth great-grandmother has now admitted her role in a fentanyl trafficking case that stretched across multiple years.
Constance Jarrells, 67, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound in Scioto County Common Pleas Court, resolving a case that originally included 13 felony charges.
Jarrells was initially indicted by the Scioto County Grand Jury in March on charges that included:
- Six counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound
- Six counts of possession of a fentanyl-related compound
- Possessing criminal tools
Prosecutors alleged Jarrells and co-defendant Danielle Slark sold or offered to sell fentanyl, prepared the drugs for resale, and committed some of the offenses in the vicinity of a juvenile. The incidents spanned June 2023 through July 2024.
Jarrells was arrested in March but later released on her own recognizance in July under the condition that she enter a residential treatment program. A jury trial was scheduled for September but postponed. In October, Jarrells agreed to plead guilty to two of the trafficking charges, significantly reducing her exposure.
She now faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. After her sentencing hearing, Jarrells was booked into the Scioto County Jail. The court gave her until December to report for final sentencing.
Her co-defendant, Danielle Slark, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of fentanyl trafficking and one count of identity fraud . Slark was initially indicted under another name after stealing Marissa Slark’s identity. Slark was sentenced to 54 months in prison, followed by two years of community control.
A look at Jarrells’ public social media shows images of a woman who appears to be a typical grandmother—family gatherings, smiling faces, and a recent Thanksgiving celebration. Those moments now stand in stark contrast to the serious felony convictions she faces, and that holiday may be among the last she spends at home for some time.
