A New York City man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison on charges of conspiring to distribute drugs and and using a firearm.

Malcolm Cowart, also known as “Prince”, 37, was also sentenced Thursday in Portland by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to five years of supervised release.

Cowart pleaded guilty in January to a charge of conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, a kilogram or more of heroin, cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and oxycodone and for discharging a firearm during part of that drug trafficking conspiracy.

According to court records, from about November 2011 until March 2014, Cowart led a conspiracy that distributed heroin, crack, and oxycodone in and around Portland. According to authorities, the drugs were brought to Portland from the New York area by the drug conspiracy’s managers, who stayed with Portland residents. The Portland residents were paid drugs and money for allowing the conspirators to use their apartments to distribute drugs. Runners were dispatched to distribute the drugs throughout the Portland area.

In March 2013, Cowart had a falling out with Wayman Sparrow that led to the two of them engaging in a shootout inside the Lafayette Arms Apartments in Portland.

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