Two people convicted in Athens County's largest drug operation

ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two men face a combined 40 years in prison after being convicted in the largest drug bust in Athens County history.

Jeremiah Deundra Fuller, 26, of Detroit, and Javahri Emanuel Portis, 26, of Athens, were each sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison; ten of these years are compulsory.

The men changed their plea to guilty on 28 charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine and possession of a weapon while under disability.

According to Athens County Prosecutor Keller J. Blackburn, the county sheriff's office began investigating the men in 2023, which revealed nine known drug sales totaling more than four ounces of fentanyl and two ounces of methamphetamine, which Blackburn said was sold for distribution in Athens, Fairfield, Meigs and Morgan counties.

Fuller and Portis were arrested in August 2023, when officers allegedly found two ounces of fentanyl and one ounce of cocaine in the men's possession.

At a sentencing hearing last week, Fuller and Portis both expressed remorse for their actions and apologized to their families and the community. Both said that once they complete their sentences, they plan to help people who are seeking drugs and/or alcohol or mental health treatment.