ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608210050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
Thomas Leroy Lipscomb was sentenced by a jury Tuesday to 20 years in prison for selling about a tenth of a teaspoon of crack cocaine to a police informant.
Lipscomb, 26 - who is known by the nickname "Boogaloo" - lives in a neighborhood known as "The Projects" in the county's Body Camp area. He also was fined $10,000.
"I asked the jury to let us know what they thought of people dealing crack in Bedford County, and I think a 20-year prison sentence speaks volumes," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joe Kuster said.
According to testimony in Bedford County Circuit Court, a state police special agent arranged for an informant to make a purchase from Lipscomb at his home in June 1995.
The informant, Melody Little, also of Bedford County, had been arrested for distributing crack cocaine at the time and has since been convicted. She agreed to testify against Lipscomb in exchange for consideration at her sentencing, Kuster said.
Police searched Little, her companion, and their vehicle before and after the buy, they testified. Little was given $80 and was wired with a body microphone that transmitted her conversation with Lipscomb to police, who were waiting in the parking lot of Body Camp Elementary School, about 0.3 mile from Lipscomb's house.
On the tape, Little is heard to ask Lipscomb what he could do for her, and he replies that "I can do you 80 [dollars] - you know I'll take care of you the best I can."
After the transaction, Little turned over about 0.63 gram of crack cocaine - or about the same amount as a tenth of a teaspoon of sugar - to police, according to testimony.
Lipscomb's attorney, Onzlee Ware of Roanoke, tried to get jurors to question whether Little could have smuggled the drugs onto the scene because she was never subjected to a body cavity search. Kuster dismissed the idea, however, calling it speculative and saying that Little was under close police supervision throughout the operation.
Ware also tried to ask for a lighter sentence because of the small amount of cocaine that was sold, but the jurors took the recommendation of Kuster, who told them, "An ounce of poison, a gallon of poison - it's still poison."
Lipscomb still faces trials on two more charges of dealing crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Body Camp Elementary, stemming from indictments in March. Twelve other people also were arrested or indicted that month and charged with more than 30 drug felonies, in what became the largest drug sweep in Bedford County history.
One of those arrested, Randolph Richard Abbott of Bedford, was sentenced Tuesday to a total of three years in prison, with three suspended, for charges of accommodating a drug sale. He had previously pleaded guilty.
Five others also have pleaded guilty, and two have been sentenced so far. Wanda Lee Carson Clark, 37, of Bedford received five years in prison with all but 17 months suspended for charges of distribution of cocaine and selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school. Perry Eugene Goode of Bedford was sentenced to five years with all but two suspended for the same charges.
Joe Thomas Harris, 31, of Big Island has pleaded guilty to one count of distributing cocaine. Keith E. Autry, 30, and Jackie A. Robertson, 30, both from Bedford, have each pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of cocaine and two counts of distributing cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school.
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