Palmer-Kennedy

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Philadelphia man who trafficked high-potency fentanyl packets in Altoona was sentenced Thursday afternoon to 30 to 180 months’ incarceration after pleading guilty to all charges across his four separate but related cases.

Amir Ishan Palmer-Kennedy, 21, faced a total of four felony counts of possession with intent to deliver, three felony counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver, two felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility, four misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and single misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence, contraband and conspiracy contraband. He has been incarcerated in lieu of bail since his arrest on June 4, 2025.

Palmer-Kennedy appeared alongside defense attorney Devin Bennati for a guilty plea hearing in front of Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard.

During the hearing, Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks told Bernard that his office had extended two plea offers to Palmer-Kennedy. The first offer was for a sentence of 42 to 120 months, or 3.5 to 10 years, in a state correctional facility while the second was for 30 months to 180 months, or 2.5 to 15 years, in exchange for Palmer-Kennedy’s guilty pleas.

After conversing with Bennati, Palmer-Kennedy ultimately chose the sentence of 2.5 to 15 years’ incarceration.

In addition to sentencing Palmer-Kennedy to the 2.5 to 15 years in prison, Bernard ordered him to pay $591 in lab fees, undergo drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, complete a cognitive behavior therapy class, have no contact with his named co-defendants and complete his GED.

The first three cases brought against Palmer-Kennedy were related to the same June 2025 incident, in which he was arrested alongside fellow Philadelphia resident Xavier Jabree Herring and Altoona resident Raymone Deahaun Kitchens. The three men were suspected of trafficking high-potency fentanyl packets stamped with a Chucky doll face.

Court documents state that these packets contained a larger quantity of fentanyl and had a higher potency than others, which resulted in “numerous reported drug overdoses in Altoona.”

A search of the vehicle the men were in at the time of their arrest revealed about 17 blue wax packets stamped with the Chucky doll face; a large, half burned marijuana blunt; and $521 in varying denominations that included pre-recorded task force funds from a previous controlled buy. Police said most of the fentanyl packets were found concealed within the B pillar between the front passenger and rear passenger seats, in a sock behind the plastic trim, court documents state.

The fourth case against Palmer-Kennedy was filed in October 2025 after he worked with two fellow inmates to smuggle contraband into the Blair County Prison.

In that case, co-defendant Kemar Ricketts was seen entering Palmer-Kennedy’s cell empty-handed before leaving shortly after with a book. Ricketts, 35, then returned to his own cell with the book.

Once the prison was on lockdown, corrections officers searched Ricketts’ cell, which he shared with co-defendant Tyrone Chase Jr. The book was located underneath Ricketts’ bunk and had portions of its pages cut out so a cellphone would fit inside, court documents state.

An investigation into the phone’s messages by Hollidaysburg Detective Jeffrey Friday showed that “a majority were associated with Ricketts” but some were also associated with Chase, 30, and Palmer-Kennedy, indicating that they were in possession of the cellphone while inside the prison at some point.

In the fentanyl cases, Kitchens, 23, was sentenced in May to 3.5 to 15 years in a state correctional facility, while Herring, 19, was sentenced in August to five years’ probation.

In the contraband case, Chase was sentenced in November to 2.5 to five years in prison. Ricketts is scheduled for sentencing in the case on Sept. 18 after entering a guilty plea in May.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.