Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Copyright: 2001 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation Contact: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793 Author: Amy McCraw, Times-News Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) TWO MEN SENTENCED AS HABITUAL FELONS Two Hendersonville men were sentenced to time in prison recently after they pleaded guilty to drug crimes and being habitual felons. The men, 34-year-old Kenneth Mathis of High Point Apartments and 23-year-old Darius Powers of 717 Conner Ave., pleaded guilty Oct. 12 in Henderson County Superior Court. Mathis pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and to being a habitual felon, Assistant District Attorney Corey Ellis said. He was sentenced to between eight and 10 years in prison after pleading guilty. Mathis had more than three previous felony convictions which led to him being identified as a habitual felon, Ellis said. All of his prior convictions involved drug offenses in Henderson County. Powers pleaded guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in Hendersonville and was sentenced to between five and seven years in prison. He also had three prior felony convictions which led to the habitual felon designation, Ellis said. All three of his prior convictions were for selling counterfeit controlled substances, the prosecutor said. The habitual felon status allows judges to sentence defendants to more prison time than they would have received if they had not been assigned the status. - --- MAP posted-by: Lou King