Author: Associated Press Source: 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 Cafˇ 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 Cafˇ on Jan. 26, 2007, an ounce from Almany at
his residence on Feb. 2, 2007, and an ounce from Almany at the Sportsman's Cafˇ
on Feb. 15, 2007.
Count Three contends that during the distribution of
cocaine to the informant by Almany at the Sporstman's Cafˇ 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.
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