A Portsmouth nail salon owner once facing a 31-count drug indictment will not be going to trial after all.
Brandy N. Cottrell pleaded guilty in Scioto County Common Pleas Court to four felony charges, bringing a major drug-trafficking case that began with raids on her home and business closer to sentencing.
A jury trial had been scheduled for November 16 after months of hearings and continuances, but that trial was canceled after Cottrell entered the plea.
She pleaded guilty to Counts 25, 27, 29 and 31 of the indictment:
- Trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound
- Trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound
- Trafficking in cocaine
- Possessing criminal tools
The trafficking counts also carry forfeiture specifications involving property prosecutors alleged was connected to the drug offenses.
Cottrell is scheduled to return to court in January for sentencing.
Case Began With Raid on Home and Nail Salon
The case made headlines earlier this year when the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force executed search warrants at Cottrell’s Upton Road home and her business, Nails by Brandy, on Ohio River Road in Wheelersburg.
Authorities said they seized suspected fentanyl, suspected crack cocaine, digital scales and other evidence they believed was connected to drug trafficking. Investigators reported confiscating approximately 218 grams of suspected fentanyl and/or crack cocaine during the operation.
Cottrell was initially arrested on trafficking and possession charges and booked into the Scioto County Jail.
The case later expanded dramatically when the Scioto County Grand Jury returned a 31-count indictment.
A Long List of Alleged Drug Deals
The indictment accused Cottrell of trafficking and possessing fentanyl-related compounds on multiple dates stretching from late 2025 into February 2026.
Some of the trafficking counts alleged amounts between 10 and 20 grams.
Other counts alleged much larger quantities.
The first count accused Cottrell of trafficking at least 100 grams of a fentanyl-related compound between November 19, 2025, and February 23, 2026.
That count also carried a major drug offender specification.
Prosecutors also sought forfeiture of property they alleged was connected to the offenses, including cash, several vehicles, a food trailer, digital scales, cell phones and an aluminum press jack.
The indictment also included cocaine trafficking and possession charges along with a charge of possessing criminal tools.
From 31 Counts to Four Guilty Pleas
Cottrell did not plead guilty to all 31 counts.
Instead, her plea agreement covers four counts near the end of the indictment.
Count 25 alleges fentanyl trafficking connected to February 16.
Count 27 alleges another fentanyl trafficking offense connected to February 23.
Count 29 alleges trafficking in cocaine.
Count 31 accuses Cottrell of possessing criminal tools, including items prosecutors said were intended to facilitate drug trafficking.
By entering guilty pleas, Cottrell admitted guilt to those charges without requiring prosecutors to prove them at trial.
The remaining counts will be handled as part of the plea and sentencing process.
A Very Public Fall
Cottrell’s arrest drew attention in part because of the public image she had built before the case.
She operated Nails by Brandy and had posted frequently about family life and becoming a grandmother. Shortly after her arrest, the salon’s Facebook page announced that the business would be closed until further notice and appointments were canceled.
Court records also showed a much older drug-related case from 2011, after which Cottrell completed the STAR Justice Program and five years of probation. Her record had remained largely clear of serious offenses for years afterward.
Now, instead of preparing for a jury trial, Cottrell is preparing for sentencing.
The judge will determine her punishment when she returns to Scioto County Common Pleas Court in January.