Michigan man faces lengthy prison sentence on drug counts
Jan. 28—LIMA — A Michigan man found to be in possession of drugs and loaded firearms during a routine traffic stop last summer plead guilty Friday to charges that label him a "major drug offender."
John Buchanon, 51, faces a minimum of 14 years behind bars when he is scheduled to be sentenced March 24.
What was scheduled in Allen County Common Pleas Court as a hearing on a defense motion to suppress certain evidence in the case quickly morphed into something entirely different Friday morning when Buchanon agreed to a plea offer from prosecutors.
He was indicted by the May 2020 grand jury on first-degree felony counts of possession of a fentanyl-related compound and possession of cocaine, along with lesser counts of possession of heroin and aggravated possession of drugs.
The fentanyl charge alleged that Buchanon was found to be in the possession of more than 100 grams of the drug and met the legal definition of a major drug offender. The charge also included specifications for the use of a firearm in the commission of the offense, the forfeiture of $1,730 in U.S. currency and three handguns. The possession of cocaine charge included identical specifications.
As part of the plea deal, Buchanon pleaded guilty to the possession of a fentanyl-related compound charge, including a major drug offender specification and the forfeiture of money and three firearms. He also entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of possession of cocaine, a third-degree felony, in exchange for the state's dismissal of all remaining charges.
According to court records, at approximately 4 p.m. on March 22 of last year an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate-75 in Bath Township at a high rate of speed. The trooper initiated a traffic stop and found the driver to be "overly nervous and unable to provide his driver's license."
The driver identified himself as Buchanon. The trooper reportedly noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and requested backup to the scene. A probable cause search was conducted on the vehicle and resulted in the discovery of three handguns, two of which were loaded, in the trunk of the vehicle.
Also discovered were assorted suspected drugs. A field test showed the substances produced a presumptive positive result for fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, court documents show.
Defense Attorney Anthony VanNoy previously had filed a motion to suppress from evidence the items found during the traffic stop, claiming that troopers "unreasonably" detained his client "for an impermissible, inappropriate length of time" in violation of his constitutional rights.
The motion was dismissed upon Buchanon's guilty plea Friday.
