Cocaine Dealer Heads to Prison

A repeat cocaine dealer was sent to prison by prosecutors in Charme Allen’s Felony Drug Unit. James Michael Young, 37, was taken into custody to serve eight years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of Sale of Cocaine with three of those sales occurring in a Drug Free Zone. Because of the Drug Free Zone enhancement, Young is not eligible for parole and must serve one hundred percent of the sentence.

General Allen stated,””The benefit of this agreement is that Young cannot be released from prison before he actually serves eight years. He is not eligible for bootcamp, safety valve, good time credit, or any other form of early release. Eight years means eight years. Also, if the defendant ever commits another drug crime, he will face enhanced punishment as a habitual drug offender.””

Assistant District Attorney Ken Irvine explained to Judge Steve Sword that from 2013 to early 2014, Young, who also went by the street name””Cracker,”” sold large quantities of powder cocaine to confidential informants working for the Drug Enforcement Administration and Knoxville Police Department. Agents with DEA and KPD video recorded Young selling multiple ounces of cocaine for $800 per ounce. The total street value of the cocaine purchased from Young is around $13,000 for over six hundred individual hits of cocaine.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.