Last week, two men were convicted last week of drug crimes involving crack cocaine. Both men, relatively young,
A 35-year-old New Orleans man faced was convicted last Wednesday of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury decision comes after the man rejected a 15-year plea deal. The conviction could land the man in prison for 30 years under Louisiana’s habitual offender law.
Sources said the man has a criminal history from the 1990s with convictions for burglary, possession of cocaine, and attempted possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance.
Police patrolling in the Iberville Housing Development caught him dealing drugs outside his apartment back in July 2009. At the time of his arrest, he was holding two bags containing over 110 pieces of crack cocaine.
In the second case, a jury found another New Orleans man guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine. That conviction, which came last Tuesday, arose from a March 7 incident in which a New Orleans resident approached police and accused the man of threatening to kill him.
Sources seemed to indicate that the identification was a confusion, as the accused man was a relative of two men accused of murder. In any case, police chased the man down for a block and upon searching his person, found a bag filled with 33 rocks of crack cocaine.
The 24-year-old man was released on bond after his arrest, but was arrested again on suspicion of aggravated assault and criminal damage to property. Because the man is a first time offender, he faces up to 15 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is set for October 27, and he will reportedly be back in court on September 5 on the assault and damage to property charges.
Source: Nola.com, “Two New Orleans men guilty of drug charges in separate cases,” John Simerman, August 18, 2011.
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