CAREER OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 24 YEAR PRISON TERM FOR DEALING CRACK COCAINE
Seattle Man had More Than 100 Previous Criminal Convictions
STACY EARL STITH, 39, of Seattle, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 24 years in prison and ten years of supervised release for two counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine, one count of Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and one count of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. STITH was found guilty by a jury on June 5, 2008, following a three day trial. In finding STITH a “Career Offender,” U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted he has “a remarkable number of felony convictions ... a repeated history of criminal conduct while on release.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, a confidential informant working with the Seattle Police Department purchased roughly an ounce of crack cocaine from STITH on two separate occasions. The first deal occurred on June 29, 2007, in a parking lot at 8th and Madison in Seattle and the second deal occurred on July 31, 2007, outside an AM/PM gas station in Tukwila, Washington. On August 8, 2007, STITH agreed to deliver six ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of powder cocaine to the confidential informant. STITH was arrested when he arrived at the Denny’s restaurant in Tukwila, Washington to complete the deal. Hidden in the engine compartment of his van officers found approximately eleven ounces of crack cocaine and three ounces of powder cocaine.
Prosecutors asked that STITH be designated a “Career Offender,” because of his long criminal history. “The number of crimes Stith has committed over the past 25 years is nothing short of astonishing,” Special Assistant United States Attorney Andy Colasurdo wrote in his sentencing memo. STITH has prior King County felony convictions for Theft (1985), Forgery (1986), Car Theft (1987), Burglary (1987, 1988, 1989), Possession of Cocaine (1989, 1991, 2004, 2004, 2005), Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (1991, 1996), and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (1999).
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Colasurdo and Assistant United States Attorney Kit Dimke. Mr. Colasurdo is a Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute gun and drug cases in federal court.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.
