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BY KEITH EPPS
A well-known local man who sold cocaine to an undercover detective was ordered yesterday to serve a year in prison.
Robert Curtis Lee, 58, one of the owners of Lee-Curtis, Graves, Freeman and Hall Insurance, was sentenced in Spotsylvania Circuit Court to a total of 10 years in prison with all but one year suspended.
Lee was arrested in October of last year after he sold cocaine to Spotsylvania Detective Jason Clark. During four separate deals, Clark bought a total 13.5 grams of cocaine for $1,000.
Judge Joseph Ellis' sentence came at the end of a hearing yesterday that featured a strong show of support for Lee.
About 85 of his supporters packed the courtroom, and 115 people, including state and local politicians, wrote letters on his behalf.
Witnesses put on by defense attorneys Phillip Sasser Jr. and V. James Ventura touted Lee's long history of contributions to the community, including his work for the United Way, the Boy Scouts and his church, St. George's Episcopal Church.
Sasser asked Ellis for a seven-month sentence that would have all been served on electronic home incarceration.
"This is as tragic a case as I've been involved with," Sasser said. " to see the downfall of a good, good man."
Commonwealth's Attorney Bill Neely acknowledged that Lee had been a good citizen for most of his life and had no criminal history.
But he said that had been taken into account when he dropped several charges and allowed Lee to plead guilty to just one.
"He's already gotten a great deal of leniency," Neely said to the judge. "All I ask is that you be fair."
Ellis will allow Lee to serve the final six months of his sentence on home incarceration at his parents' house.
Ellis also scolded Lee for spreading "poison" in the community and warned him not to mess up again.
Regarding the random urine screens Lee will be subject to, Ellis said, "I give you my word. You'd better not test dirty."
According to court records, Clark began an investigation after an informant told him that Lee was selling cocaine.
Clark, pretending to be a user, called Lee on Oct. 1 of last year and asked if he "had anything for me." Lee invited Clark to his home at 108 Vance Drive in Spotsylvania and sold him an "eight-ball" of cocaine for $250.
Clark, still in an undercover capacity, purchased eight-balls from Lee on three other occasions that month.
Clark wore a body wire during all of the transactions, court records show. He was shown Lee's "party room" above the garage and was told by Lee that he transported his cocaine in the back of his 2006 Volvo.
On Nov. 5, 2008, police executed a search warrant at Lee's home and seized 38.9 grams of cocaine, two baggies of marijuana, smoking devices, digital scales and $573 in cash, most of which was money Clark used to buy the drugs from Lee.
Lee told police that he had been using cocaine heavily for a couple of years. He purchased two ounces in Richmond every other week for $2,500 and had sold it to three other people in addition to Clark.
Lee told police that he went through cocaine rapidly because he provided it to whomever attended parties at his house. He said he used the profits from cocaine sales to buy more cocaine for entertaining.
Lee made a brief statement yesterday in which he apologized for his actions and thanked his supporters for standing by him.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com
