Chattanooga woman receives probation in federal cocaine case

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Chattanooga woman was placed on five years' probation Monday for her involvement in cocaine sales in East Chattanooga.

In what he termed a rare departure from the recommended 1.5- to two-year sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Harry "Sandy" Mattice placed Jentry Zobolyak on probation based on her lack of criminal history and "aberrant behavior" in the undercover federal drug operation.

Zobolyak found cocaine suppliers for undercover Drug Enforcement Agency investigators on at least three occasions from July 2009 until June 2010, according to court documents.

She was unaware that the buyer was an undercover agent.

One of the suppliers, Rodney Goodwin, was sentenced in April to 15 months in prison by Mattice.

In court Monday, Zobolyak said she regretted her acts and that at the time she "was really feeling trapped in her life."

Probation officers reports had described her as a model probationer, Mattice said.