News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
Peter F. Neronha
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
February 16, 2012
46 Month Federal Sentence for Providence Man Who Admits to Selling Drugs Since Age 14
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A 41-year-old Providence, R.I, man who admitted to a federal district court judge in Providence that he has been selling illegal drugs since the age of fourteen, was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha. U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell also sentenced Jessie Sanders, III, to a term of supervised release of three years.
Sanders, arrested in February 2010 following a four-month joint federal and state undercover investigation, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in October 2011 to possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the time of his guilty plea, Sanders admitted to the court that he sold various amounts of crack cocaine to undercover law enforcement agents on four occasions between October 16, 2009 and January 15, 2010. Sanders also admitted that a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol found at his feet when he was approached by law enforcement agents while he was riding in a taxi on February 4, 2010, belonged to him.
Sanders also admitted to the court that he told law enforcement agents at the time of his arrest, that he had been a narcotics dealer since the age of 14; that he had between two and three hundred customers in Rhode Island; that he utilized three different locations in Providence and Warwick to prepare and package crack cocaine; and that he routinely sold approximately 28.5 grams of crack cocaine per day.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by law enforcements agents from the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov
