LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A Lima man has been sentenced to 54 years in prison for his involvement in a fentanyl pill-making operation in 2021. 43-year-old Ronald Hesseling got that sentence after a jury found him guilty of 22 drug charges, including trafficking fentanyl.
In 2021, Hesseling, Eric Upthegrove, and Nicoya Darby were arrested after an investigation where law enforcement seized a brick of powdered fentanyl and a large number of fentanyl pills. This was his second trial on the same charges. His first trial last year was ruled a mistrial after several jurors were excused due to unexpected circumstances, and a verdict couldn't be rendered in the case.
Upthegrove trial is scheduled to begin on April 15th. Darby has a hearing scheduled for May.
