Convicted Drug Dealer Sentenced to 60 Years for Selling Cocaine after 8th Felony Drug Charge
A drug dealer convicted of eight prior
drug-related felonies was sentenced to 60 years in prison Monday in Wilson County Circuit Court.
James K. Woods, 35, of Lebanon, was sentenced on three charges of selling Schedule II narcotics (cocaine), two of those charges resulted in consecutive 20-year sentences with one concurrent 20-year sentence, he will serve up to 40 years in the penitentiary. The Lebanon man has a history of felony drug charges dating back to 1999 when he turned 18 years old.
Woods had previously served five years in the penitentiary for drug sales just prior to Wilson County narcotics detectives making controlled buys of over ½ gram of cocaine on three separate occasions before he was arrested on an indictment Jan. 7, 2015.
“This is the epitome of arrogance in the drug business,” Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan said following the sentencing. “He apparently has not yet learned we will not tolerate selling drugs in this county without severe consequences.”
Sheriff Bryan and his detectives agreed that drug-related offenses and addictions lead to most of the crime in Wilson County even if in an indirect way. “This is a black eye in this country and a menace to our society,” Sheriff Bryan said, noting the seriousness of drug use and sales. “If you sell drugs in Wilson County, we will find you and make sure you pay the price.”
Last year, the Tennessee Department of Health determined drug overdoses in the state had surpassed the number of people killed by motor vehicle accidents and even firearms discharges in 2014. The number of drug overdoses of both street and prescription drugs have been escalating statewide for several years.