Convicted Lorain drug dealer gets more than 27 years in prison for cocaine, fentanyl trafficking and guns

A Lorain man caught with illegal drugs and guns in his home in January has been sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge John R. Adams on Tuesday sentenced Dustin A. Young, 36, of West 11th Street, to 27 years and three months in federal prison, with credit for any time already served in custody. Young pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court in Akron to two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count each of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Adams ordered Young to be on supervised release for 10 years after completing his sentence, ordered him to pay $400 in costs and ordered him placed in a drug rehabilitation program. Adams ordered a Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle, a .45-caliber Ruger handgun, two 9 mm handguns and a .22-caliber Mossberg rifle forfeited to federal authorities, according to court records. Lorain police and the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office charged Young with felony trafficking in cocaine and fentanyl, drug possession and having weapons while under disability after the Lorain Police SWAT team raided his home in the 1000 block of West 11th Street on Jan. 30. Officers found and seized 30 grams of cocaine, 30 grams of fentanyl, two rifles, three handguns, $3,000 in cash and illegal drug trafficking paraphernalia. They arrested Young that same day. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio took over the case from Lorain County prosecutors and courts in April. Defense attorney Wesley Dumas Sr. asked for only 151 months, or 12 years and seven months in prison plus court-ordered drug rehabiliation for his client. He wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court that Young's "extremely dysfunctional childhood, which led to significant substance abuse, mental health issues, and his limited educational background, has served as the proving ground for his criminal lifestyle." "Although a prison sentence is appropriate for Mr. Young, the time ordered to be served should be reduced because he was in essence raised to commit crimes and his current lifestyle reflects the negative values embedded in his youth," Dumas wrote. Young's parents had substance abuse disorders, his father was abusive and abandoned the family when Young was 10 and Young was physically abused and neglected as a child, according to court records. Young grew up in "rough gang infested neighborhoods with violence/drug activity as well as personal assaults where he was victimized for no apparent reason," Dumas wrote. Young turned to using illegal drugs at a young age, suffered from numerous untreated mental health conditions and found it hard to hold down a job, his attorney said. Young has convictions for felonious assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, domestic violence, attempted felonious assault and disrupting public service, according to court records.Contact Dave O'Brien at 440-329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.