COVINGTON, Ky. -- A Cincinnati man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for a conspiracy to distribute a powerful opioid that resulted in a Boone County inmate's death.
Johnny Shelton, 41, led the conspiracy to smuggle carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, into the Boone County Jail Work County in October 2016, according to court documents.
Timothy Marcum, a fellow inmate, consumed some of the carfentanil and died.
U.S. District Judge David Bunning sentenced Shelton.
Shelton had five prior convictions for drug trafficking in Ohio. Under federal law, he will never be eligible for release from prison, according to Department of Justice officials.
Two other members of the smuggling ring have also been convicted. Chad Prodoehl was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy. Gordon Wanser was sentenced to 43 months in prison after pleading guilty.
