Drug Conviction Overturned

As reported by W. Zachary Malinoswki in the November 2, 2010 edition of the Providence Journal, the Rhode Island Supreme Court reversed the conviction of an incarcerated man.  The Massachusetts man was found guilty of three (3) charges, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act and possession with intent to deliver an ounce to a kilogram of cocaine.  He was sentenced to twenty (20) years at the ACI, with ten (10) years to serve.

The Supreme Court in reversing the conviction concluded there was insufficient evidence of the man's guilty.  The man was arrested at T.F. Green Airport while he was driving a car with three (3) passengers.  The police stopped the vehicle based on a tip from an informant.  The informant stated that there was a courier picking up drugs from the airport.  Two of the passengers, both women, were found with cocaine in their purses.  There were never any drugs or weapons found in the man's possession, but police found his behavior to be suspicious.

In addition to reversing the man's conviction, the Supreme Court ordered that the lower court enter a judgment of acquittal.  The man has since been released from the ACI, having served nearly 2 ½ years of the sentence he was given.