Liberty woman faces prison in drug case

On probation for conviction of harboring murder suspect

WARREN -- A Liberty Township woman, who received probation for charges in the harboring of a suspect in a Youngstown shooting death in February 2020, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.

Jasmine M. Jackson, 25, of 1465 Townsend Ave., Apt. 6, Liberty, appeared with attorney Thomas Zena before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge W. Wyatt McKay. She pleaded guilty to possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of cocaine and aggravated possession of drugs.

Prosecutors said the drugs were found in Jackson's apartment by federal marshals who came there on Feb. 11, 2020, to arrest murder suspect Robert L. Shelton. Shelton, 46, is accused of shooting to death Dymond D. Ortello, 34, outside of the Brothers of Power Classic Cars Club on Logan Avenue on Feb. 9, 2020. Also that night, two other victims exchanged gunfire inside the bar and died as a result.

Jackson had earlier been sent to the Northeast Ohio Alternative Community Program as part of her probation on an obstruction conviction for harboring the fugitive. She had pleaded guilty to that felony charge last fall before Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice. She did not answer the door, telling the feds to "get a warrant" to look for Shelton.

In court on Wednesday, Zena said the drug charges are not related to the Shelton case. When federal marshals entered the apartment, however, prosecutors said they found substances that tested to be 16.23 grams of fentanyl, 11.5 grams of methadone and 1.1 gram of cocaine. The feds tipped Liberty police, who conducted the raid, which also netted $4,878 in cash, and arrested Jackson.

A charge of possession of LSD against Jackson was dismissed as part of the plea arrangement.

She will be sentenced after she undergoes a background investigation with the adult probation department. She faces a possibility of serving up to 10 years in prison.

Court records show that Shelton, who is facing charges of aggravated murder, possession of drugs, possessing weapons under restrictions and tampering with evidence, is scheduled for a Sept. 13 jury trial in the courtroom of Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Sweeney.