East Liverpool man gets at least nine years in prison on cocaine charges

Jason Garland, 35, of East Liverpool, pleaded guilty on Friday before Judge Sean O’Brien of the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to a first-degree possession of cocaine, first-degree possession of fentanyl related compound and second-degree possession of cocaine felonies, in addition to a third-degree tampering with evidence charge.

Garland was sentenced to an indefinite 9 to 13.5-year term in state prison.

The case involved a Sept. 24, 2020, arrest and investigation by Warren police officers David Weber and Mario Matash.

The officers located a vehicle speeding near the Hampshire House on the southwest side of Warren.

They observed the vehicle park in a nearby parking lot and the defendant running away from the scene.

A search of the area found a .45 caliber loaded handgun tossed into a pile of mulch, a report stated. Garland was later arrested and he was found with 28.03 grams of cocaine in powder form, 26.32 grams of crack cocaine and 62.5 grams of fentanyl-related compound as well as $4,420 in cash.

As part of the plea deal, Garland agreed to forfeit the cash and the handgun.

The plea hearing on Friday headed off a scheduled jury trial that was to begin Monday, Jan. 29, before Judge O’Brien.

Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow credited the fine police work of the two officers, Matash no longer works for the Warren force.

Garland is also scheduled to be released from FCI-Morgantown on Feb. 5, where he was serving time for a gun conviction related to this case.

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