Two Cuyahoga County men pleaded guilty to cocaine possession charges in Portage County Common Pleas Court, and now await sentencing.
Richard Bertheir Johnson IV, 42, of Shaker Heights and Sir Don Kandia Simmons, 38, of Euclid pleaded guilty Feb. 17 to third-degree felony possession of cocaine during what was scheduled as a status conference.
Sentencing is pending the completion of pre-sentencing investigations and reports by the court’s adult probation department. Both men face a maximum of three years in prison, according to court records.
The men’s jury trials were scheduled to begin Feb. 18.
The Portage County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy stopped a vehicle July 20 for a marked lanes violation on Interstate 76. Johnson was identified as the driver and admitted there was a gun in the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
During a search, a plastic bag containing about 400 grams of cocaine, or about 14 ounces, and a loaded pistol were found.
Johnson was found to have a warrant for his arrest out of Cleveland Heights, as well as a protection order out of Shaker Heights. Both prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.
In a plea deal, the cocaine possession charges were amended down from first-degree felony possession and an additional felony trafficking charge against both men was dismissed.
Additional charges against Johnson also were dismissed, including third-degree felony having weapons under disability, fourth-degree felony improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and first-degree misdemeanor driving under suspension.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Pair admit cocaine possession after traffic stop on I-76
Reporting by Jeff Saunders, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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