Portsmouth drug dealer receives 30-year sentence

PORTSMOUTH

A Circuit Court judge Monday imposed a 30-year prison sentence on a drug dealer who fired his attorney, requested a jury and then refused to come into the courtroom the day of his trial.

Shawn Daniels, 30, continued the erratic behavior at his sentencing Monday that he had demonstrated during his May 27 trial. At the beginning of Monday's hearing, he asked to speak and started by saying, "I am not, in fact, Shawn Daniels."

He said his name is Sengbe Pieh Truth-el.

The defendant went on to offer various ideas that had been expressed in numerous papers he filed with the court, including his opinion that the court had no jurisdiction over him.

Many of his writings appeared to be borrowed from an anti-government Web site. In at least one, he signed his name Shawn X.

Judge Johnny E. Morrison denied Daniels' motions Monday and asked him to sit. When Daniels refused and continued to talk, deputies took him out of the courtroom.

As he was being removed, he grabbed onto the door frame and leaned into the courtroom to say, "For the record, without prejudice, all my rights are reserved."

When he was gone, Morrison asked the defense attorney assigned to Daniels' case if the defendant had been institutionalized. The judge was told that a mental evaluation was done and that Daniels was ruled competent to stand trial.

Commonwealth's Attorney Earle C. Mobley asked the judge to uphold the jury's recommended sentence, which included 30 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, 10 years for possession of cocaine and 30 days in jail for possession of marijuana.

"This man asked for a jury," Mobley said. "I imagine much of what they considered was his previous record."

Daniels had several prior felony convictions, including another for possession with intent to distribute heroin and one for possession of a gun with drugs.

Mobley also said that Daniels had never shown remorse or accepted responsibility for his crimes.

The defense attorney, John Callahan, argued that the system in Virginia is set up so juries can recommend a sentence, but a judge can look at the facts and "temper what I will refer to as the passion of the jury."

Before imposing the sentence, the judge said he was going to "take another chance" to see if Daniels wanted to come into the courtroom.

Callahan left to speak to him, then returned, telling the judge that Daniels refused to answer him and "just sat there and looked the other way."

The judge upheld the jury's recommendation, but ran the sentences concurrently.

Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com