By Frank Lewis
An Akron, Ohio man who had been a fugitive since 2009 has been sentenced by Judge William T. Marshall to 11 years in prison after being convicted on charges of trafficking in heroin and tampering with evidence. A Scioto County Common Pleas jury deliberated for nearly two hours Wednesday before returning a verdict of guilty against Calvin D. Spencer, 40.
Witnesses said on Aug. 2, 2013, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped a vehicle for traffic violations on U.S. 23 southbound. The car, driven by Spencer, pulled into a hotel lot. That is when troopers said they noticed marijuana residue on Spencer’s pants and cocaine flakes in the console.
Troopers then searched the vehicle and said the found nothing illegal. After questioning the occupants, troopers prepared a search warrant to take the occupants to the hospital for a body cavity search. The passenger in the vehicle reportedly admitted to troopers that he had the drugs and gave up 10.5 grams of black tar heroin he had secreted in his body.
Scioto County Prosecutor Mark Kuhn said jurors were able to listen to the cruisercam in which Spencer and his passenger talked about where the drugs were hidden.
According to evidence presented by prosecutors at the sentencing hearing, Spencer had 11 prior felony convictions dating back to 1989, including drug trafficking and felony firearms charges. Kuhn said Spencer was convicted in Portage County in 2009 for heroin trafficking, but fled and was on the run until he was arrested in Scioto County in 2013.
Spencer served two years on the Portage County case before being tried in Scioto County.
Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.
