Lima man pleads guilty to trafficking fentanyl

LIMA — A Lima man charged with trafficking in fentanyl near a school and other assorted felony drug offenses entered into an agreement with prosecutors Monday that could land him behind bars for decades.

Seyoum Lawrence, 30, will be sentenced Oct. 28 after pleading guilty to the possession of a fentanyl-related compound and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, each felonies of the first degree. Lawrence also pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound.

Prosecutors say the Lima man sold fentanyl near a school and, in a separate incident, was found to be in possession of more than 100 grams of fentanyl. Lawrence was found to be in the possession of 255 grams of fentanyl at the time of his arrest, according to prosecutors.

A grand jury indicted Lawrence in January on four felony counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, having weapons under disability and a first-degree felony charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Prosecutors dismissed four of the counts as part of a negotiated deal and also voided a firearm specification and another specification which labeled Lawrence a major drug offender. As part of the negotiated agreement, he agreed to forfeit more than $5,000 in alleged drug profits and to pay just over $2,000 in restitution to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force.

Prior to entering his plea on Monday, Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed repeatedly explained to Lawrence that a guilty plea to the charge of possession of a fentanyl-related compound carries with it a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 11 years. The remaining first-degree felony charge could add eight additional years behind bars.

Most of the incidents are alleged to have occurred in August and October of 2023; one of the trafficking violations allegedly took place in December.