Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 24, 1992 TAG: 9203240393
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
U.S. District Court Judge James Turk said Betty Kidd Flora Perry, who had been convicted of similar charges in Roanoke County in the early 1980s, had returned to her life as a drug dealer and told her "I think you would be involved again" if given the opportunity. "Maybe the excitement caused you to do it," Turk said.
Perry pleaded guilty in June 1991 to supplying what authorities described as a large drug ring in the Roanoke, Bedford and Lynchburg areas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bondurant recommended Monday that Perry receive a reduced sentence for providing substantial assistance to the government after she was charged.
According to testimony at Perry's hearing last year, federal drug enforcement agents identified Perry during an investigation in December 1989 of cocaine trafficking by a fugitive from Virginia.
Through informants, authorities located a storage unit rented by Betty Perry, who lives in the Goodview community in Bedford County. Stored inside were 8 pounds of marijuana and 5 ounces of high-grade cocaine. Also found were large quantities of packaging equipment, such as heat sealers, electric and manual scales, vacuum sealers and cutting materials.
Authorities seized Betty Perry's phone records, which showed regular calls to a telephone number in Colombia.
Bondurant said the government considered Perry to be the leader of the conspiracy, in which she purchased cocaine directly from a contact in South America and then sold the drug to at least six other people.
Perry, an Eagle Rock native, was convicted in 1980 on state drug distribution charges and sentenced to 15 years. She served 3 1/2 years.
Her attorney, Tony Anderson, said Monday that a Roanoke County judge last week revoked Perry's parole on those charges. A Roanoke County judge will decide if Perry's federal prison sentence will run concurrently with the remainder of her state sentence.
by CNB