Roanoke man charged in fentanyl bust sentenced to 15 years (2024)

Marcello Loren Steelman, 34, was indicted by a Roanoke Circuit Court grand jury in March on 16 charges. Steelman pleaded no contest Tuesday to five felonies, and in exchange the commonwealth agreed not to prosecute the rest.

In accordance with his plea agreement, Steelman was sentenced to a total 42 years suspended after he serves 15. Once released, he’ll be placed on supervised probation for another three years. In the 12 months after his release, he’ll be required to pay his court costs.

Judge Leisa Ciaffone also ordered, in accordance with Steelman’s agreement, that the firearms and ammunition seized through the criminal investigation be destroyed, and that the $2,943 found on Steelman when he was arrested be forfeited.

The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force began investigating Steelman through a series of five controlled fentanyl purchases that occurred between Jan. 1 and 31, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Courtney Turner said during Tuesday’s hearing.

During one of those purchases on Jan. 18, Turner said, a confidential informant equipped with audio and video recorders clearly captured Steelman, wearing blue gloves, selling a baggie of fentanyl. Police obtained a search warrant for Steelman’s residence, the basem*nt apartment under his mother’s house in the 1100 block of 22nd Street, and his gray Nissan.

On Feb. 1, investigators observed Steelman in the vehicle at a northwest Roanoke apartment complex, Turner said. He and a female left the area in the vehicle, and when police tried to initiate a traffic stop, Steelman fled.

A pursuit ensued, and the female rolled out of Steelman’s vehicle into the road. As the chase continued, Turner said, Steelman drove at speeds in excess of 100 mph, hit a police vehicle, ripping off the license plate, and went around an occupied school bus, driving directly into oncoming traffic.

Steelman ultimately crashed into a wall in a private property and began to flee police on foot but was caught. From his pockets, Turner said, police seized the nearly $3,000 and ammunition. From the Nissan, they seized drugs, scales and Steelman’s blue gloves.

As police were chasing Steelman, other investigators were executing the search warrant at his home. Turner said the process took hours, as officers had to put on hazmat suits before they could safely enter the basem*nt. From it, they seized baggies of drugs, a blender covered in a white powder, ammunition and pistols, including one located under the mattress in Steelman’s bedroom.

A forensic analysis of the seized drugs found that most of it was a combination of fentanyl and heroin, Turner said. State police reported in February that officers seized more than 2 pounds of fentanyl, more than a pound of methamphetamine and 15 grams of crack cocaine. The total estimated street value for the illegal narcotics was about $185,000.

Steelman was sentenced Tuesday on one count of selling fentanyl to 10 years in prison suspended after he serves three, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl to 15 years suspended after he serves four and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine to 10 years suspended after he serves three. A $100 fine associated with each of those charges was also suspended.

For one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, Steelman was sentenced to five years to serve. And for one count of felony eluding, he was sentenced to two years, both of which were suspended. His license was also suspended for six months.

Steelman’s attorney, public defender Charles Bullen, noted that Steelman was on probation at the time of his arrest. His violation of the terms of that probation will he handled later. He was continuing to be held Tuesday afternoon at the Roanoke City Adult Detention Center.