Area drug kingpin sentenced to 16 years

SANDUSKY — A Sandusky man was sentenced in federal court Friday to more than a decade in prison for drug-related charges.Judge Jeffrey Helmick of Toledo's U.S. District Court sentenced Daniel Hallingshead, Jr., 22, to 16 years in prison on ten drug counts, which included possessing and intending to distribute heroin and analogue opioid tri-methylfentanyl. The sentence also calls for a five-year supervised release period.Hallingshead Jr. previously pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 30, 2017, as a part of a plea agreement, according to a court docket.Hallingshead Jr. was arrested in 2016 after local and federal police agencies raided five properties purportedly connected to the drug operation. Authorities took heroin, pills, drug paraphernalia and cash from the residences."It's a big deal because he was a major distributor," Sandusky police Chief John Orzech told the Register following the 2016 raid. "This is of a higher magnitude of dealing than just someone on the street distributing a gram or so."Hallingshead Jr.'s four co-defendants — Cody Baker, 28, of Springdale Street; Tracy Thompson, 52, of East Bogart Road; Anthony Miller, 21, of Reese Street and Jeremy Smith, 26, of West Osborne Street — all of whom faced similar drug charges, have already been sentenced. All of those defendants received sentences of less than seven years.More Sandusky police articlesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterHallingshead, Daniel