FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 22, 2014
Contact: Heather F. Williamson
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
20 East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176-2809
(703) 777-0242
DRUG DISTRIBUTION CASE PRESENTED TO LOUDOUN JURY
JURY RESPONDS BY IMPOSING 9 YEAR PRISON SENTENCE
LEESBURG, Virginia – December 18, 2014. A Loudoun County jury found Jennifer Lynn Murphy, 37, guilty of Distribution of Marijuana. The jury trial concluded shortly after 9:00 p.m.
In late December 2012, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies working in an undercover capacity purchased over 11 1/2 ounces of marijuana from Murphy and Casey Andrew MacDonald, 29, at Murphy’s home in Sterling.
During the sentencing phase of Murphy’s trial, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Meredith M. Burke and Ryan W. Perry presented evidence of Murphy’s prior criminal history dating back to 1998. Murphy was previously convicted of Sale of a Controlled Substance in New York, False Statement to Law Enforcement and Burglary in Maryland. Additionally, Murphy had repeated criminal contact with the juvenile court system.
A final sentencing date is set for March 13, 2015, before the Honorable Jeanette A. Irby who presided over Murphy’s trial.
MacDonald elected not to have his case go to trial, and entered a plea of guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana on September 22, 2014.
On December 22, 2014, MacDonald was sentenced to one year and nine months in the Virginia Department of Corrections. In addition to the one year and nine month sentence imposed by the court, MacDonald received an additional one year and three months of suspended time which could be revoked should he violate the terms of his supervised probation upon his release from prison.
“The trafficking of illegal drugs continues to be the most significant and growing crime currently plaguing our county,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman. “This verdict makes it clear that the community acknowledges its severity and how it wishes for the courts to handle repeat offenders,” Plowman continued.
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