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February 7, 2007

Two more drug dealers sentenced

By NCNews Staff

BY DEBBIE WACHTER MORRIS DMORRIS@NCNEWSONLINE.COM





Although he apologized to the court, convicted Detroit drug dealer Shantez "Stretch" Johnson is going to state prison. Johnson, 33, of Detroit, was one of two convicted drug traffickers snared by Operation Detroit who was sentenced Friday in the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas. Others have sentencings scheduled later this month and next. Convicted by a jury last year of delivery of a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance, Johnson received the mandatory minimum sentence of three to six years in a state prison from Judge Thomas Piccione. He was credited for 296 days of incarceration. Johnson was one of 27 arrested on felony drug charges a year ago by the state police, accused of being part of a cocaine operation that generated more than $2 million annually in local street sales between 2003 and early 2006. Authorities allege drugs were being transported from Detroit and sold on New Castle's streets, and that juveniles were used as couriers. Michael Ahwesh, senior deputy attorney general who is prosecuting the Operation Detroit cases, said he had asked for a stiffer sentence for Johnson, but he is satisfied with the judge's decision. Johnson "kind of apologized" to the court and said he was trying to get his life back together, but he never admitted to doing anything wrong, Ahwesh said. He contended that Johnson had lied on the witness stand when he testified that he did not sell drugs. Johnson's attorney, Michael Frisk, was in court and could not be reached for comment Monday. Dorothy Elizabeth Ortiz, 39, of 508 Laurel Blvd., who pleaded guilty to her charges in October, was ordered into a state-supervised two-year intermediate punishment sentencing program for intensive drug rehabilitation. She will be in the state correctional system until she is placed in the rehab program, Ahwesh explained. He said he is satisfied with her sentence because "Dorothy was cooperating with the commonwealth for a long time. She obviously has a drug problem, and hopefully this program will help her." Her attorney, Larry Puntereri, explained that Ortiz will be incarcerated for seven months in a state correctional institution. During four of those months, she will undergo intensive rehabilitation. After her seven months, she will serve two in a half-way house, then will spend the rest of the time under intensive probation. That sentence was Piccione's brainchild, Puntereri said, adding neither he nor Ahwesh had heard of the program before and that it was recommended by the judge. Puntereri feels it is a fair sentence for Ortiz and she is in agreement with it, he said. "We feel she has an addiction problem and that it will benefit her greatly," he said, adding, "She deserves more leniency because she was a key witness in several of the trials." Although Ortiz did not want to go to jail at all, she knew she was looking at serving time, Puntereri said. "She definitely did not get a walk," Ahwesh emphasized. Ahwesh anticipates another trial in the case could be scheduled for later this month. A defendant known only by his nickname of "G" has not yet been arrested.

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