Shelby man sentenced to more than 17 years for drug trafficking
A Shelby man was sentenced to more than 17 years behind bars for drug trafficking, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
On Jan. 25, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced 45-year-old Chadwick Javon Strong, known as “Izeem Ockman Ackridge,” to 214 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.
Filed court documents and proceedings show that from 2018 to July 2021, Strong distributed fentanyl and cocaine in Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Cleveland counties.
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An investigation into Strong’s drug trafficking allowed law enforcement to confirm that the defendant sold and possessed with intent to distribute one kilogram of fentanyl. According to investigators, Strong disguised the substance with pill markings for another.
According to the release, along with the illegal substances, $3,000 in cash and two handguns were found in Strong’s possession.
In court, Strong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine.
He is currently in federal custody, where he will remain until he is transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he will be assigned to a federal facility.
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