Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502200057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Frank E. Castillo wore it to court Friday - with the price tags still attached - and a federal jury acquitted him of charges that he possessed $38,000 worth of crack cocaine found during a drug bust in December.
When defense attorney David Damico met with his client in a holding cell minutes before the trial began, he quickly suggested that the tags be removed from the brand-new suit.
No way, Castillo said. When the trial was over, he told Damico, his girlfriend planned to return the suit for a refund.
Unable to change his client's mind, Damico faced the problem head on - asking the jury, if Castillo was really the major drug supplier portrayed by federal prosecutors, wouldn't he have some decent clothes of his own?
``If he's supposed to be such a big drug dealer, where's all the money?'' Damico said.
Although he escaped a sentence of 10 years to life in prison on the cocaine charge in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Castillo may need another lucky suit. He still faces a murder charge in Richmond.
Castillo, 21, was arrested on both charges the night of Dec. 6, when vice officers from the Roanoke Police Department raided an apartment on Panorama Avenue Northwest.
Police found 120 grams of crack inside a refrigerator, another 245 grams tucked in a gym bag, $2,740 in cash, and a set of scales along with packaging material for the drugs.
Eric Williams, who lived in the apartment, pleaded guilty at the start of Friday's trial. He will receive a reduced sentence for his testimony against Castillo, whom he described as the source of the drugs.
Williams testified that Castillo, who is from Norfolk, supplied him with about $4,500 worth of crack once a week.
Castillo denied the allegations, explaining to the jury that he was simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He testified that he was in town to visit his girlfriend, but she didn't want her parents to find out they were dating.
So she dropped him off at a friend's house, who in turn took him to the home of another friend, who happened to be Williams. Castillo maintained that he had no idea there were so many drugs in the house until police burst in and arrested them.
After deliberating about two hours, the jury apparently believed his story. The next day, Damico said he did not know if the suit had been returned.
``If I was him, I'd keep it for luck,'' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bondurant, who doesn't see many acquittals in drug cases. ``I'd never take those tags off.''
by CNB