THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 7, 1995 TAG: 9503070449
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
A federal judge has opened the possibility that a member of a major Portsmouth heroin ring could see his sentence slashed because a key informant was allowed to have conjugal sex in federal offices in exchange for his cooperation.
Robert Lee Brown Jr. of Portsmouth pleaded guilty in November 1990 to distribution of crack cocaine. In January 1991, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
On Feb. 27, U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar received a letter from Brown in which he complained that most of his co-defendants were receiving reduced sentences because of the government's failure to disclose that its main witness in the case, Gary Weathers, had received conjugal visits with his wife and girlfriend.
Two days later, Doumar ordered the court to treat the letter as a motion to vacate Brown's sentence and appointed a defense attorney to handle the case. He also ordered the U.S. attorney's office to respond in 60 days.
The court must address what role Weathers' testimony played in the conviction of Brown, Doumar said.
KEYWORDS: SENTENCE CONVICTION DRUG ARREST by CNB