Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Cincinnati Trio Receive Prison Time for Retaliating Against Witness in Federal Case
CINCINNATI – Three individuals were sentenced in U.S. District Court for obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentences handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Those charged include Artnisha Jones, 29, Ronald Sutton, 53, and Tamela Jones, 47, all of Cincinnati. Artnisha Jones and Sutton were each sentenced to 35 months in prison. Tamela Jones was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
According to court documents, in May 2017, the defendants assaulted a potential witness in a federal drug case against Kevin Whitehead, who was in a personal relationship with Artnisha Jones. At the time, Whitehead was facing federal charges of distribution of a controlled substance.
On May 8, 2017, Artnisha Jones saw the victim in the neighborhood and had him enter Sutton’s apartment. There, the three defendants confronted the victim for “snitching” against Whitehead. The co-defendants punched and kicked the victim and struck him with a belt. They also took his clothing.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the ATF, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley, who is representing the United States in this case.
###