The Virginian-Pilot
©
PORTSMOUTH
A man will serve 20 years in prison on a cocaine charge, a judge ruled Monday, exceeding state sentencing guidelines that call for about three to six years.
Eric Roundtree, 41, of Elizabeth City, N.C., was arrested Feb. 11 in the 3700 block of Willett Drive, near Willett Hall, after police received information that he would be delivering drugs in the area, according to Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Ed Ferreira.
He said Roundtree, who had eight felony convictions and was on probation in Chesapeake, was found with $7,000 worth of cocaine and $1,715 in cash.
When Roundtree was arrested, he gave a statement to police that he had been selling 2 kilograms of cocaine a week before he was arrested in 2009 on a murder charge, Ferreira said. The street value of that amount would be about $200,000, Ferreira said.
He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in July. Under the terms of a plea agreement, the commonwealth's attorney's office did not prosecute a charge of bringing drugs into the state, Ferreira said. They made no agreement on sentencing.
Ferreira said state sentencing guidelines call for three years and nine months to six years and three months in prison. On Monday, he asked that Roundtree be given 40 years because of his record and the quantity of drugs he was distributing.
Circuit Judge Dean W. Sword gave Roundtree 25 years but suspended five years and fined him $10,000.
Roundtree's drug arrest came less than a year after a jury found him not guilty in the 2009 shooting death of Kevin Vass, 36.
Vass, a maintenance man working at the Whispering Oaks apartments, was shot to death during the day at the complex.
Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Harsh sentence by ANY standards
"sentenced to 20 years in Portsmouth"
Wow, 20 years in Portsmouth-that seems really harsh in light of what he did. I mean, send him to prison for 20 years sure, but 20 years in Portsmouth is simply too much.
Maybe he'll be eligible to go to Newport News in 15 years or so???
One thing for sure
ten years for multiple sexual assaults on an eight year old child is not fair and reasonable.
He was making $200,000.00
He was making $200,000.00 per week. I would have quit after Week One!
Sentencing for findings of not guilty
Innocence de jure? Without legal cause, the commonwealth attorney wants the system to incarcerate him for killing someone that the prosecution couldn't prove?
Sounds like grounds for appeal. I wonder if judges still do the amount of time sentenced in years, as a career goal/
Possession with intent to
Possession with intent to distribute carries a maximum of 40 years so judges can sentence defendant's any where within that time. They are not bound to the sentencing guidelines, those are just recommendations but guidelines don't take every single factor into consideration. Given the amount of drugs he was selling, and his record, 20 years is a very fair and reasonable sentence.