Department of Justice

FORT WAYNE – Jonathan L. Wells, 48 years old, of Hicksville, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Wells was sentenced to 110 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on May 10, 2020, Wells was pulled over by law enforcement. During that stop, the officer saw baggies of drugs in plain view, which were later confirmed to contain 23 grams of methamphetamine. Wells had over $1,000 cash on his person despite being unemployed since 2012. Text messages found on Wells’ phone confirmed his drug dealing activities. Officers also located a loaded .40 caliber handgun under Wells’ seat and he admitted to being a convicted felon. Wells criminal history reveals he has been convicted of prior offenses involving drugs, violence and property crimes.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Butler Police Department and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Nokes and Brent Ecenbarger.

This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.