Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Former Letcher County Resident Found Guilty On Drug Charge.
A former Letcher County resident was convicted of drug trafficking after failing to convince a jury that police had arrested the wrong person.
Following a two-day trial before Letcher Circuit Judge Samuel T. Wright III, 31-year-old James Holland was found guilty of second-degree trafficking.
Holland, who now lives on Sama Road in Burnside (Pulaski County), had turned down a plea offer that would have given him probation.
Police arrested Holland on May 22, 2007, for selling Hydrocodone pills to an undercover UNITE detective on September 23, 2005.
During the trial, which began Monday, March 11, Holland¹s attorney argued that someone else had made the sale that police had arrested the wrong person.
Although Holland had changed his appearance, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Kevin R. Mullins presented evidence linking him with the crime.
Mullins showed that the vehicle used at the time of the sale was registered to Holland, that Holland had given the undercover detective directions to his home if he wanted to purchase more pills, and that Holland had stated he was behind on his child support payments which was confirmed through court records.
Jury members recommended Holland receive the maximum 5 years in jail when he is formally sentenced at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 23.
Courtesy : Operation UNITE
Following a two-day trial before Letcher Circuit Judge Samuel T. Wright III, 31-year-old James Holland was found guilty of second-degree trafficking.
Holland, who now lives on Sama Road in Burnside (Pulaski County), had turned down a plea offer that would have given him probation.
Police arrested Holland on May 22, 2007, for selling Hydrocodone pills to an undercover UNITE detective on September 23, 2005.
During the trial, which began Monday, March 11, Holland¹s attorney argued that someone else had made the sale that police had arrested the wrong person.
Although Holland had changed his appearance, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Kevin R. Mullins presented evidence linking him with the crime.
Mullins showed that the vehicle used at the time of the sale was registered to Holland, that Holland had given the undercover detective directions to his home if he wanted to purchase more pills, and that Holland had stated he was behind on his child support payments which was confirmed through court records.
Jury members recommended Holland receive the maximum 5 years in jail when he is formally sentenced at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 23.
Courtesy : Operation UNITE
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 10:36 PM 
