A federal judge on Monday sentenced Idriss Barr to just four years of federal probation, the lowest sentence yet imposed on any of the men involved in a massive cocaine roundup stretching back to 2013.
Barr was charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics in a widely publicized indictment that city officials and police at the time said netted the city's "worst" criminals. Defense attorneys have disputed that label and argued that the media attention surrounding the case, including a news conference held after many of the more than 30 men involved were arrested, created undue prejudice.
Idriss Barr"It's my opinion he shouldn't even have been named in the conspiracy," Barr's attorney, Mike Little, said Monday.
Barr is only the second of seven men named in his indictment to be sentenced. Kentarius Nealy, sentenced last year, faces 60 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture narcotics. But many of the men arrested in the same roundup, but named in a separate indictment that included more than a dozen people, face between six and 12 years in prison, and the shortest prison term so far has been 10 months.
Barr was released shortly after his arrest and has remained free since that time, Little said. Little said he's accepted responsibility for what "very limited role" he had in the conspiracy and is a good man.
According to Barr's plea agreement, LeJeromeny Brown, who is also named in the indictment, told law enforcement that Barr bought cocaine from him six or seven times with the intent to sell. Barr pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics, a lesser offense than the conspiracy to manufacture narcotics charge for which he was originally indicted.
Before pronouncing the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Harry S. Mattice told Barr that, in most cases, individuals with these charges spend time in prison. He told Barr not to waste his chance.
"If you are before the court again, you will be sent to federal prison," Mattice said.
Contact Claire Wiseman at 423-757-6347 or cwiseman@timesfree press.com.