A judge handed Portsmouth residents Johnny Dale Fitzpatrick and Brandi Bevins long prison sentences for helping out-of-town drug dealers sell illegal narcotics in Portsmouth.
It took a jury less than two hours to convict 51-year-old Fitzpatrick and 42-year-old Bevins on felony drug trafficking and tampering with evidence charges.
The jury convicted Fitzpatrick of nine felony counts and Bevins for 8 after an investigation revealed drug trafficking activity at their home in the 400 block of Campbell Avenue. When law enforcement raided the home, they found Fitzpatrick and Bevins with two Dayton men. Police said Fitzpatrick was covered in drug residue despite the fact that he and his companions had tried to destroy the evidence. Members of the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force found 62 grams of meth, 48 grams of heroin, 21 grams of crack, $2,300 in cash and other evidence of drug trafficking when they searched the home.
The prosecutor said the pair had allowed drug traffickers to use their home as a base in Portsmouth. Even after the arrest, Bevins kept up the illegal activity, violating the terms of her bail.
Scioto County Common Pleas Court Judge sentenced Fitzpatrick to 25 years in prison and Bevins to 15 years behind bars. Fitzpatrick had 13 prior arrests on charges including failure to appear, aggravated possession of drugs, domestic violence, parole violation, and contempt of court. Bevins had previous arrests for OVI, theft, and assault.