Donteill Grant. Contributed photo.
It had gotten back to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice that Donteill M. Grant thought the judge was mad at him.
Rice explained that she had revoked Grant’s bond because he had just been convicted of serious drug charges that carry a mandatory minimum sentence.
“The court has no anger or animosity against you in any way,” Rice said Oct. 23 at Grant’s sentence hearing.
Rice imposed the mandatory minimum sentence of 11 to 16½ years in prison, sending Grant, 45, of Sharpsville, to prison for the fourth time.
The case arose from a July 11, 2023, incident in Brookfield. Police were conducting traffic enforcement on Route 62, and patrolman Jonathan Setser saw a Jeep with a crooked license plate come into Ohio from Pennsylvania, police said. Setser followed the Jeep and pulled it over when the Jeep crossed the white fog line in a construction zone. In talking to Grant, Setser smelled marijuana coming from the Jeep, police said.
Grant admitted there was a marijuana roach in the car, and that he had a medical marijuana card, but that it had expired. When Grant pointed out where the roach was, Setser could see a bag of marijuana with it, police said.
After Setser informed Grant that he would search the vehicle, Grant ran across the highway, police said. He was caught soon after, and a bag of cocaine was found in the pocket of his cargo pants, police said.
That bag contained two other bags that held powder cocaine, and another bag of crack cocaine, police said. The cocaine weighed 496 grams and had a street value of about $10,000, according to the county prosecutor’s office.
Grant was indicted on charges of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine. He went to trial Oct. 21 and the jury found him guilty after 12 minutes of deliberation on both charges, prosecutors said.
At sentencing, Rice said the charges merged because the same evidence was used to satisfy the elements of each, and the prosecution asked that Grant be sentenced on the charge of possession.
Rice noted that Grant had an extensive criminal record, including a conviction for manslaughter, and had drug charges dating back 20 years.
The prosecution said Grant has previously served three separate prison terms for violence, gun and drug charges, and had spent a total of 15½ years in prison.
Rice said Grant will get out after having served 11 years, if he behaves himself in prison. If he doesn’t behave, the Ohio Department of Corrections can keep him up to the maximum 16½ years.
Grant also was fined $10,000, and will serve 5 years’ probation after his prison term. Grant was credited with having served roughly 5 months in jail.
Grant did not speak on his own behalf at sentencing on the advice of his attorney because he plans to appeal the verdict.
Grant had pleaded guilty to trafficking in June but withdrew his plea in August. He also had filed a motion to suppress evidence, but the motion was denied.
