A third person has pleaded guilty in a federal heroin-distribution case associated with nine overdoses, two of which were fatal, in and near Cabot in 2011 and 2012.
U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. accepted the guilty plea Monday from Keith "Key" Sanders, 26, of Memphis, who was one of eight people jointly indicted in July 2012 on charges of participating in a heroin-distribution ring in the Cabot area. Authorities say the heroin obtained from Wallando Onezine, 37, led to the deaths of two unidentified young men and the nonfatal overdoses of seven other young people.
Onezine of Cabot, considered the leader of the distribution ring, pleaded guilty June 19 to a single distribution charge in exchange for a 10-year prison sentence -- as long as Marshall ultimately approves the agreement. If the judge gives his stamp of approval after reviewing a presentence report detailing Onezine's history, the Cabot man won't face a jury trial on charges that his actions led to the two deaths. A conviction for causing the deaths would automatically subject him to a life sentence.
On Monday, Onezine dropped a request filed last week to withdraw the plea. Marshall has scheduled a hearing for 1 p.m. July 28 to go over the expedited presentence report and possibly impose a sentence at the same time. The judge said he also hopes to determine then whether the case will proceed to trial in September for the remaining five defendants.
The first defendant to plead guilty was Mark Aaron "Zane" Pruitt, 24, of Jacksonville, who admitted on May 27 to selling less than 5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant on March 29, 2012. In exchange for his plea to a distribution charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, prosecutors dropped a distribution conspiracy charge against him.
Sanders admitted that he conspired to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, between 100 grams and 1 kilogram of heroin between May 1, 2011, and June 26, 2012. The plea subjects him to a sentence of between 5 and 40 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5 million, according to the written agreement.
The remaining defendants are Devon McClain, 20, of Cabot; Landon Cope, 22, of Little Rock; Justin Pennock, 28, of Cabot; Alex Evans, 23, of Cabot; and Hunter Gladden, 26, of Ward. All are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Metro on 07/16/2014