Escambia Man Gets Federal Prison On Armed Drug Trafficking Charges

April 23, 2015

An Escambia County man is headed to prison on federal armed drug trafficking charges.

Marheem R. Smith, 24, was sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

In October 2014, while attempting to arrest Smith on state charges of aggravated assault and firearm violations, law enforcement officers discovered a loaded Ruger .45 caliber pistol and bags of cocaine located inside a vehicle underneath where Smith was seated.  Additionally, the  officers found approximately $1,000 and a digital scale on Smith’s person.  Inside an apartment linked to Smith, law enforcement seized more than 34 grams of cocaine and materials to convert powder cocaine into crack cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office as part of the ATF Gun Crime Response Team.

Comments

5 Responses to “Escambia Man Gets Federal Prison On Armed Drug Trafficking Charges”

  1. Susan on April 23rd, 2015 11:27 pm

    Dave, it would have been probation but he was tried in Federal Court. Federal Court has stiffer penalties for firearm violations.

  2. emschick on April 23rd, 2015 10:20 pm

    (insert sarcasm)Well as long as he is working on bettering himself then the sentence seems appropriate. After all he can finish getting his GED in prison and perhaps even take college courses.

    We should never put people in jail or prison who have had bad childhoods. After all it’s not their fault. It’s their parents.

    Also the police probably planted all that stuff.

  3. Sage 2 on April 23rd, 2015 8:12 pm

    It was taken into consideration by the court that Marheen was working on his GED and was willing to do community service.

    In addition, it was noted he had an emotional experience as a child when he was spanked by a school dean for taking another student’s lunch money, but said he was sorry!

  4. Dave on April 23rd, 2015 6:42 pm

    I’m surprised he didn’t get probation.

  5. mick on April 23rd, 2015 9:16 am

    C’mon 8 1/2 years? A CONVICTED FELON – NO REGARD FOR THE LAW – IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE and he gets a slap on the wrist – you judge – should step down. An insult to all law abiding citizens – wasted taxpayer money