Pubdate: Wed, 06 May 2015
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
Copyright: 2015 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/25
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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.
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