Lexington man enters plea agreement in major drug and firearms case

LEXINGTON, Ky.--A Lexington man has entered a plea agreement with federal prosecutors after being indicted on charges including drug trafficking and firearms charges, according to documents filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Alonzo Quant'e Harrison, 35, admitted to possessing with intent to distribute significant quantities of cocaine and fenanyl, according to the plea agreement. Harrison also admitted to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

The investigation

According to the plea agreement, the investigation by the Lexington Police Department (LPD) targeted a residence on Strawberry Fields Road in Fayette County. Police conducted surveillance operations in October 2022 as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Alonzo Quant'e Harrison, the subject of the investigation, was observed visiting this residence on several occasions, with detectives noting the presence of vehicles registered in his name.

On November 1, 2022, the LPD executed a search warrant for the residence. That same day, a traffic stop of a black 2021 Nissan Maxima, driven by Harrison and registered to him, was carried out after detectives detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The traffic stop led to Harrison’s detention and the search of his vehicle and residence, according to the plea agreement.

Items seized

The plea agreement says the search of Harrison's vehicle yielded approximately 94.7 grams of suspected marijuana and keys to the Strawberry Fields residence. The subsequent residential search revealed the following:

• Firearms: Two handguns, a Glock .40 caliber located in the living room and a Springfield 9mm found in the primary bedroom.
• Controlled substances: Multiple substances were recovered, including white powdery substances in various forms totaling over 1,500 grams, suspected to be fentanyl, and approximately 87 grams of a substance believed to be cocaine.
• Cash: $44,280 in U.S. currency.
• Equipment: A hydraulic press with residue was also found, typically used in drug packaging operations.

Laboratory Analysis

The substances were forwarded to the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Lab for analysis. The tests confirmed the substances to be cocaine and fentanyl, both considered Schedule II controlled substances, according to the plea agreement.

Firearms Analysis

The handguns seized were determined to have been manufactured outside Kentucky and had traveled in interstate commerce, thereby falling under federal jurisdiction, according to the plea agreement.

Harrison will be sentenced by Judge Karen K. Caldwell on February 20, 2024. According to the plea agreement, the maximum statutory punishment for his charges is "imprisonment for not less than l0 years and not more Life imprisonment, a fine of not more than $10,000,000."

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