GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – A Kingsport man is facing life in prison after a federal court sentenced him for multiple drug and firearm possession charges.
According to a release by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Jeremy Smallwood, 38, was sentenced on Jan. 12 following a three-day trial on multiple charges:
- Possession with the intent to distribute heroin,
- possession with the intent to distribute marijuana,
- possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and
- three counts of knowing possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the release, Smallwood was a previously-convicted felon when Sullivan County deputies arrested him in 2020. In the trial, prosecutors say evidence showed Smallwood in possession of firearms on three separate occasions. At the time of his arrest, Smallwood reportedly had two firearms as well as heroin and cannabis that he intended to distribute.
Due to Smallwood’s previous charges, the release said he qualified as an “armed career criminal” which would require at least 15 years imprisonment. He also qualified as a career offender under federal guidelines.
A federal judge found that Smallwood had threatened witnesses with violence, which impacted his sentence.
“The Court’s sentence reflected the defendant’s extensive criminal history, the seriousness of the offenses of conviction, and the need to protect the public from the dangers posed by this defendant,” the release said.
