Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jun 2004
Source: Virginian-Pilot (VA)
Copyright: 2004, The Virginian-Pilot
Contact:  http://www.pilotonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/483
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

FORMER SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATOR SENTENCED IN DRUG CONSPIRACY

A former investigator with the Washington County Sheriff's Office was 
sentenced by a federal judge in Greenville on Tuesday to six years in 
prison for planning to purchase and sell cocaine.

James Edward Leonard, 55, of Plymouth, pleaded guilty in February to 
conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more 
than 500 grams of cocaine.

According to a statement from the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of 
North Carolina, Leonard had conspired with the late Albert Jean Stanley to 
purchase and distribute two kilograms of cocaine from a confidential informant.

Leonard had earlier accepted money to provide license tag and criminal 
history information to the informant, the statement said, and he and 
Stanley had agreed to protect illegal drug shipments from detection by 
other law enforcement officers.

Stanley, a 52-year-old Plymouth resident, died of natural causes in 
January, Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Bennett said in February.

Washington County Sheriff Stanley James said in February that Leonard had 
been hired as a deputy in about 2001 and was promoted to investigator about 
a year later.

Leonard was arrested on Sept. 11, 2003, and was immediately fired from the 
sheriff's office. He has been held in custody since his plea hearing in 
February.

In addition to the active sentence, U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard 
also ordered that Leonard's prison time be followed by a supervised release 
term of five years.
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