The so-called right-hand man of a jailed New London cocaine kingpin was sentenced Friday to more than five years in prison for selling drugs.

Jeremiah “J” Simons, 20, formerly of 58 Colman St., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hartford and will serve 70 months in prison, according to a release from the office of acting U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Nora R. Dannehy. His prison term will be followed by five more years of supervised release.

Two years ago, Simons pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 5 grams or more of crack cocaine. Simons was being held in custody since his arrest after a grand jury indicted him in May 2006.

Simons is the so-called right-hand man of Tyrone Henry, also known as “Blondie.”

For his role in the drug deal, Henry was sentenced in May to serve 13 years in jail followed by eight years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in March 2007 to one count of possession of crack with intent to distribute.

The two sold the cocaine to a person working with law enforcement officials in February 2006. Undercover agents taped the deal and other controlled buys arranged with the help of an unidentified cooperating witness, the government has said.

The arrests were made during a federal crackdown that followed a series of shootings in New London.

In the March 2006 deal, Henry sold 44.5 grams of crack cocaine that was later analyzed and found to be 77 percent pure.

-MICHAEL NAUGHTON

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