Hamilton Journal News

Fairfield man could face life in prison after his drug conviction

- By Michael D. Pitman Staff Writer Contact this writer at 513581-6538 or email Michael. Pitman@coxinc.com.

CINCINNATI — A federal judge convicted a Fairfield man of participat­ing in a narcotics conspiracy, and he could face at least 10 years in prison.

Eric Jason Clark, 41, was found guilty Thursday afternoon following a bench trial that began Monday before Senior Judge Michael R. Barrett in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. According to court documents and testimony, Clark and others conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 or more grams of fentanyl.

He could be sentenced to at least a decade to up to life in federal prison.

Drug Enforcemen­t Administra­tion agents began an investigat­ion in May 2021 after receiving informatio­n Clark was interested in purchasing 10 kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles at the price of $33,000 per kilogram.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that during conversati­ons related to drug sales in June and July 2021, Clark said he wanted to “stick to that white girl, the Christina Aguilera,” meaning cocaine, because law enforcemen­t “want(ed) to fight that war on drugs with people passing away from [fentanyl].” But if the “price was right,” Clark said he’d buy fentanyl, too, so long as it was

“top notch.”

Clark carried multiple burner cellphones, disposing of them as quickly as every two days. He also always kept $300,000 cash in his car, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A subsequent investigat­ion revealed Clark reportedly engaged in large-scale narcotics purchases in the Cincinnati area.

He was arrested in August 2021, and officers discovered 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than $200,000 of cash in his vehicle, as well as 5 more kilograms of cocaine and more than 3 kilograms of fentanyl at an apartment used as a stash house.

During this time, Clark was on supervised release following a prior federal drug conviction. In 2008, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Southern District of Ohio.

Clark’s sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

 ?? ?? Eric Clark
Eric Clark

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