Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Armed Drug Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Dejon Jasper, 27, of Lexington, was sentenced today, to 120  months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  

In November 2018, officers with the Lexington Police Department, initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jasper.  During the stop, Jasper was in possession of a stolen Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, 28 grams of fentanyl, and 4 grams of cocaine.  During his plea, Jasper admitted to possessing the narcotics for distribution and possessing the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.           

Under federal law, Jasper must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for five years.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; R. Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.

The ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation.  The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.