Repeat Cocaine Dealer Sent to Prison

A Knoxville man will spend a total of thirty-four years in state prison after being found guilty of three separate incidents of cocaine trafficking, one including a firearm. In December, a Knox County jury convicted Richard Eugene Reed, 36, of Possession with Intent to Sell Cocaine in a Drug Free School Zone, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. Following that trial, Reed was sentenced to twenty years in prison without the possibility of parole stacked on top of an eight-year probation sentence from an earlier cocaine conviction. Today, Reed pled guilty to another sale of cocaine, adding six more years to his sentence. The cases were prosecuted by ADA Sean McDermott of the Felony Drug Unit.

The investigation into Reed started on July 5, 2011, when Knoxville Police Department Investigator Jeff Damewood and Lieutenant Greg Coker responded to a shots-fired call in East Knoxville. Their investigation led them to 2501 East Fifth Avenue where they discovered approximately fifteen grams of crack cocaine in Reed’s bedroom closet. Officers also discovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol, drug paraphernalia for cutting and packaging crack cocaine, and Reed’s wallet that included his probation identification. Reed was on probation at the time for selling crack cocaine. Prosecutors argued at the time to have Reed’s probation revoked. This request was denied, and Reed made bond.

While on bond for Possession with Intent to Sell Cocaine, Reed sold crack cocaine on video to a confidential informant working for Knoxville Police Department Repeat Offender Squad Officer Brandon Stryker. After this offense, Reed’s eight-year probation sentence was revoked, and he was sent to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Reed’s subsequent jury conviction and guilty plea add another twenty-six years to his prison sentence.”Repeat offenders, especially those who continue to commit crimes while on bond or on probation, will receive special attention from this Office,” stated District Attorney General Charme P. Allen.

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.