Man caught in Canfield with 88 pounds of meth sentenced to 18 years

A man who led police on a chase through Mahoning County last year and was found with 88 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilo of cocaine has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.

Jeffrey Battle, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty in April to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition to the nearly 18-year prison term, Battle was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release.

The charges stemmed from a high-speed pursuit that began in Youngstown on August 22, 2024, and ended in Canfield.

According to a criminal complaint, Battle was being investigated by the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which alleged he was distributing "significant quantities" of narcotics in the Mahoning Valley, Akron, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania.

The driver jumped out of the car after it went off the road at Dorado Beach Drive and Shields Road in Canfield.

Using a K9 and an airborne heat-detecting infrared camera, authorities tracked down Battle.

A Mahoning County Judge dismissed a local charge against Battle after federal authorities took over the case.