Jacksonville man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking

A Jacksonville man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and for possessing MDMA with the intent to distribute it.Jamal Jason James, 40, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. James pleaded guilty Dec. 12, 2025.Officers respond to man lying in roadOn July 29, 2024, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office members responded to Ivy Street in Jacksonville after receiving a call about a man lying in the road. When officers arrived, they found James lying outside the open door of a vehicle he had been using.While tending to James, officers spotted a small bag of a rock-like substance inside the vehicle. Laboratory testing later confirmed the substance was 6 grams of MDMA — an amount inconsistent with personal use. Officers placed James in handcuffs and searched him, finding more than $20,000 in cash on his person and inside the vehicle.Jail calls reveal broader