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June 29, 2007

Fall River man found guilty in RI of drug trafficking

PROVIDENCE -- After a two-day trial and two hours' deliberation, a federal jury has found a Fall River man guilty of drug trafficking.

According to a news release today from the office of U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente, the jury rendered its verdict yesterday against Kent Awer, 32.

East Providence police found 500 grams of crack cocaine during a traffic stop last year on Route 195. Awer was a passenger in the vehicle that was stopped.

The penalty is ordinarily 10 years to life imprisonment plus a $4-million fine. But the prosecution told the court Awer has three past drug trafficking convictions in New York, which could subject him to a mandatory life sentence for the Rhode Island offense.

-- projo.com stafrf writer Michael P. McKinney

During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Beckner presented evidence that at about 1 a.m. on May 2, 2006, Awer was a passenger in a car that East Providence police stopped for speeding on Route 195.

The driver did not have a driver’s license, according to the police, and officers took her into custody and had Awer and another passenger removed from the car. During a search, the police said, they found a black bag in the trunk, men's clothing and a vacuum-sealed pack containing a half-kilogram of crack, packaged in bundles for distribution.

The bag also held "items of paperwork" in Awer’s name. Awer later told officers that he had obtained the crack in New York City.

Awer was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 5:32 PM | Permalink

June 29, 2007

Fall River man found guilty in RI of drug trafficking

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