OCT 5 -- CHARLOTTE, NC— Terence Devon Garmon, 28, of Marshville, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte to serve a prison sentence of 20 years for his involvement in the possession and distribution of “crack” cocaine in Union County in August of 2008.

Today’s announcement is made by Rodney G. Benson, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Atlanta Field Division (AFD) of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Acting U.S. Attorney Edward R. Ryan, and Union County Sheriff Edwin G. “Eddie” Cathey.

Garmon was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. to 20 years imprisonment, followed by a ten-year term of supervised release, after Garmon entered a guilty plea on March 13, 2009 to one count of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack” cocaine. According to court documents and information gleaned at formal hearings, Garmon also possessed a firearm on the date of his crime. Under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which the court consulted among other factors at the time of sentencing, Garmon was considered a “career offender” for sentencing purposes.

Garmon has remained in local federal custody since his arrest in December 2008, and will be in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons once a facility has been designated at which he will serve his sentence. Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman handled the prosecution for the government.

DEA Atlanta SAC Benson encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justhinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.

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