Akron Career Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth, Fentanyl, and Cocaine

AKRON, Ohio - A Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for possessing and intending to distribute more than 1,400 grams of methamphetamine, as well as distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

Cedric Thomas, 47, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese after pleading guilty in December 2025 to the following charges:

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of Cocaine in 2008; and Trafficking in Marijuana in 2020.

Thomas was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Due to Thomas' previous drug convictions, he was designated as a career offender.

According to court documents, detectives from the Akron Police Department Narcotics Unit began investigating Thomas' suspected drug trafficking activity in November 2023. On Jan. 24, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence and caught Thomas attempting to flush drugs down a toilet. Investigators found that Thomas possessed 1,400 grams of methamphetamine, 29 grams of fentanyl, and 28 grams of cocaine, all intended for distribution throughout Northeast Ohio. Agents also seized:

• $2,132 in U.S. currency
• A Smith & Wesson model Bodyguard .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol
• A Taurus model GC3 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol
• Miscellaneous ammunition

The investigation was conducted by the Akron Police Department Narcotics Unit.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.