Fairfield, Ohio – Eric Jason Clark, a 42-year-old man from Fairfield, has been sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by a stringent 20-year supervised release period. This sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett after a bench trial that concluded in February 2024, affirming Clark’s involvement in a substantial narcotics operation.
Clark was found guilty of engaging in a conspiracy that involved the trafficking of at least 11 kilograms of narcotics, notably cocaine and fentanyl, across various states. The court documents revealed Clark’s operations extended from Cincinnati to his criminal affiliates in Los Angeles, indicating a broad network and a high degree of organization within his drug trafficking activities.
The unraveling of Clark’s illicit activities began in May 2021 when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) intercepted communications about his plans to buy 10 kilograms of cocaine at a rate of $33,000 per kilogram from a source in Los Angeles. Subsequent investigations led to a sting operation where Clark expressed his interest in acquiring a large shipment of fentanyl, which he referred to as “China,” during a meeting with a confidential source arranged by an undercover agent.
Clark’s arrest in August 2021 was a culmination of these investigative efforts. At the time of his capture, he possessed five kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, over $204,000 in cash, and five cell phones in his vehicle. Further searches at his luxury stash apartment on Freedom Way in Cincinnati and his residence in Fairfield led to the discovery of additional narcotics—three kilograms each of fentanyl and cocaine, more than $15,000 in cash, and two firearms.
This wasn’t Clark’s first run-in with the law; he was already under federal supervised release following a 15-year prison sentence for a prior conviction related to cocaine distribution. The recent sentencing underscores the gravity of his continued criminal behavior despite previous legal consequences.
The case against Clark was a cooperative effort involving the DEA’s Detroit Division, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Cincinnati Police Department. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, along with other law enforcement officials, emphasized the significance of this operation in disrupting a major drug trafficking network.
