ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 TAG: 9604160053
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
A Blacksburg man was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison last week after being convicted of four counts of distributing cocaine and one firearms charge, Montgomery County Circuit Court records show.
Robert Thomas Calfee, 47, was arrested Sept. 1, 1994, and charged with cocaine distribution charges as well as two counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The conspiracy charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement the commonwealth's attorney's office reached with the defense.
Calfee was sentenced to 40 years for the four distribution charges and two years for the firearms charge. The plea agreement suspended 30 years of the 40 and requires five years of probation.
Calfee's conviction was the result of work by the Montgomery County Drug Task Force and its "Operation Crackdown." The undercover investigation by Blacksburg and Christiansburg police used informants to buy cocaine. Police targeted a Blacksburg apartment complex mainly because of complaints by residents. Twenty-seven people were charged during the roundup.
Skip Schwab, assistant commonwealth's attorney, described four instances where police used informants to buy cocaine either directly from Calfee or with Calfee's assistance.
On April 29, 1994, police used an informant to buy one $25 rock of cocaine from Calfee at his Heritage Acres apartment.
On July 22, 1994, another informant was searched and then wired so that police could hear the informant complete the buy from Calfee. This time for two $25 rocks of cocaine.
Later in the investigation, police used two other informants to buy cocaine from Donald Trussell, who has since been convicted of related drug charges. Calfee was present during those drug buys or assisted in providing the drug, Schwab said.
A search of Calfee's apartment on Aug. 3, 1994, turned up two revolvers. Because Calfee was convicted of attempting to utter a forged check in Radford in 1976, it was illegal for him to have the guns. Calfee also forfeited $2,500 that police found during their search as part of the agreement.
Calfee was taken to the Montgomery County Jail from court. Schwab said Calfee had been out on bond since his arrest in 1994.
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