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September 3, 2008

Two area drug dealers get prison time

By LOHR McKINSTRY

ELIZABETHTOWN -- Two men accused in separate cases of selling drugs in Essex County were each sentenced to seven years in state prison Tuesday.

Donald R. Handy, 49, of Ticonderoga was an employee of Ticonderoga Central School District when police stopped him on March 31 with 98 grams of cocaine and a marijuana cigarette in his 1999 Ford Ranger.

Handy was employed as a custodian at Ticonderoga Elementary-Middle School, but his employment ended soon after his arrest.

He was charged with two counts of felony third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

After pleading guilty, he was sentenced in Essex County Court to seven years in state prison and forfeited $1,400 in cash he had when arrested, along with the Ford Ranger.

Essex County District Attorney Julie Garcia said they don't believe Handy sold drugs to students at the school.

"It was extremely troubling to realize Don Handy was on his way to work at the school when a large amount of cocaine was found in his car. The kids could easily have had access to his vehicle where it was parked."

In the other drug-sales case in County Court Tuesday, James Brown, 44, of Keeseville was sentenced by Judge Richard Meyer to seven years in state prison.

State Police said Brown had a kilo of cocaine in his car when he was stopped on the Adirondack Northway last year.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists a kilogram of cocaine powder as having a street value of roughly $50,000.

Garcia said the arrest was the result of a joint investigation between Essex County and Adirondack drug task forces.

"We suspect he was distributing cocaine to people in Clinton and Essex counties for a period of time. I feel strongly that drug dealers need to be held responsible. Their conduct poisons our county and has a detrimental impact in many ways."

A co-defendant with Brown, Kelly Dillon, 45, of Keeseville has already been sentenced to five years in prison.

Garcia said the sentences being meted out are substantial.

"We'll always be aggressive with regard to our sentences. Seven years on each of these cases. These were men responsible for distributing large amounts of cocaine in Essex and Clinton counties. It will make a difference to have them incarcerated for the next seven years."

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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