JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A Jamaican national, previously deported from the U.S. on two occasions, received a prison sentence exceeding 24 years for drug-related offenses discovered during a search in Johnson City.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that on Wednesday, 45-year-old Courtney Sterling was sentenced to 292 months. Following his prison term, Sterling will undergo 10 years of supervised release.

Sterling admitted guilt as part of a plea deal to charges of conspiring to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, illegal possession of a firearm, and aggravated re-entry into the U.S.

The charges against Sterling originated from a November 2022 home search executed by the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD). The police received a tip-off about a marijuana delivery expected at a specific Johnson City location.

“This investigation led to a search warrant at Sterling’s home, uncovering 11 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.5 pounds of cocaine, and firearms,” the DOJ statement elaborated.

Sterling was arrested after the search. The JCPD later found more firearms, cocaine and large amounts of money, according to the DOJ.

“Sterling, a Jamaican citizen, had previously been removed from the United States on two prior occasions,” the release states.

Sterling made bond in Washington County but failed to appear in court, making him a fugitive.

According to the DOJ, a shipment of 20 pounds of meth and 2.6 pounds of cocaine was intercepted by Homeland Security, the JCPD, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in October 2024.

The shipment had been bound for another Johnson City address, and the DOJ stated Sterling and two co-defendants had coordinated the delivery to distribute the narcotics in East Tennessee.

One of the co-defendants, 37-year-old Heather Ward, of Johnson City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday. The other, 41-year-old MJ Adams, of Johnson City, is set to be sentenced in February.