The Newport Plain Talk

CHATTANOOGA-Lee Almany has been sentenced to 15 years after reaching a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga.

Almany's plea and sentence were before U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier last month.

As part of the agreement, Almany entered a guilty plea to count one, which charges the defendant with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

Almany also entered a guilty plea to count three, which charges him with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

As part of the plea, Almany received 10 years on count one and 5 years on count three.

Count one stems from charges that on or about June 2005 and continuing through at least April 2007, "Almany knowingly and intentionally conspired with Johnny Dean Moss, Keith Hicks, Walter Holt, Todd Douglass and others to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine."

Count one also contends the Almany distributed approximately one ounce of cocaine Jan. 10, 2007 to a cooperating informant at the defendant's business, the Sportsman's CafŽ in Newport. During the recorded conversation, the defendant referred to 10 ounces of cocaine he had obtained earlier through Holt. On Jan. 12, 2007, the informant met with Almany at his residence to pay for the cocaine obtained Jan. 10 and to obtain an additional ounce of cocaine.

The informant obtained an additional two ounces of cocaine from Almany at Almany's residence on Jan. 23, 2007, two more ounces from Almany at the Sportsman's CafŽ on Jan. 26, 2007, an ounce from Almany at his residence on Feb. 2, 2007, and an ounce from Almany at the Sportsman's CafŽ on Feb. 15, 2007.

Count Three contends that during the distribution of cocaine to the informant by Almany at the Sporstman's CafŽ on Jan. 10, 2007, Almany possessed a Smith and Wesson Model Airlite .38-caliber revolver in the office where the transaction occurred. The loaded revolver was recovered by state agents from Almany's vehicle during the execution of a search warrant in connection with another investigation in May 2007.