Pubdate: Wed, 06 May 2015 Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR) Copyright: 2015 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Contact: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/contact/voicesform/ Website: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/25 Note: Accepts letters to the editor from Arkansas residents only Author: Linda Satter Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States) SOLD COCAINE STOLEN FROM STATE POLICE, EX- LAWMAN'S COUSIN TELLS COURT The cousin of a former state police lieutenant admitted Tuesday to a federal judge that in 2013, he sold cocaine that his cousin had stolen from the police property room, unaware that federal agents had him under surveillance. Lamont Johnson's plea to a charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance ( cocaine) was part of a plea agreement in which federal prosecutors agreed to drop four other charges Johnson faced at a jury trial scheduled to begin next week. Those charges included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, being a felon in possession of firearms and two counts of possessing a defaced firearm. His cousin, Sedrick Reed, began serving an 11- year prison sentence in November, after admitting in July that he had stolen seized drugs from the evidence room to sell on the streets. A state trooper for 18 years, Reed had worked his way up to the rank of lieutenant when he and Johnson were arrested in July 2013 after FBI agents searched their homes and found remnants of marijuana, cocaine and heroin that had been stored in the property room. Agents also found stolen guns and large amounts of cash in both men's Little Rock homes. Reed admitted to U. S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson that he made more than $ 200,000 by selling the seized drugs over a seven-year period. The drugs were stolen while they were sitting on See page 15 From page 1B shelves waiting to be destroyed, after they were no longer needed for criminal prosecutions. Johnson's case was delayed after he was initially found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial as a result of "severe stress resulting from various medical conditions," including from an assault in 2012 that left him with facial fractures. He was committed to a federal medical center until he was considered restored to competency in November. On Tuesday, Johnson admitted that in 2012 and 2013, Reed supplied him with more than 500 grams ( 17.5 ounces), but less than 2 kilograms ( 70 ounces or 4.4 pounds), of cocaine for resale to customers. He also agreed with Assistant U. S. Attorney Chris Givens' synopsis of his encounter on the afternoon of July 12, 2013, with a person identified only as a "confidential source." Givens said the undercover operative went to Johnson's house and told Johnson he'd been trying to reach him but that Johnson didn't have any minutes left on his cellphone. The source then ordered 9 ounces of cocaine, and Johnson called his cellphone carrier and added minutes to his phone. A short time later, Givens said, federal agents intercepted a call Johnson placed to Reed to order 9 ounces of cocaine. Givens said agents heard Johnson say, "I don't want the problem with that other one, it is hard for me to win with the other stuff since it's so old," referring to the quality of aged cocaine that Reed had been removing from the evidence room. Reed replied, "Yeah, but that's all I got," and Johnson said, "I know." At 6: 13 p. m., a little more than three hours later, Reed arrived at Johnson's home and gave Johnson about 9 ounces of cocaine, which Givens said Johnson's "customer," the confidential source, purchased half an hour later. Wilson accepted the plea and scheduled Johnson's sentencing for 10: 30 a. m. Aug. 6. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1 million. Johnson, represented by attorney Kim Driggers of the federal public defender's office, agreed to accept an enhanced sentence because he possessed a gun at the time. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom