Columbia man sentenced to 10 years in prison for intent to distribute crack cocaine

A Columbia man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole Friday for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri said.

Taijal Obrayn Jones, 30, pleaded guilty in March to possessing with the intent to distribute five or more grams of crack cocaine, according to a news release from John Wood, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Jones was arrested in March 2006 after being approached by Columbia police, who had noticed him knocking on the door of a residence in the 600 block of Park Avenue. Upon being approached, Jones fled and was seen throwing a large white bag into a parking lot dumpster, according to the release.

When officers apprehended Jones after a foot chase, they found a bag containing cocaine, crack cocaine, $3,423 and a bottle containing prescription drugs. The bag recovered in the dumpster contained 89.43 grams of cocaine, according to the release.