WESTFIELD – A city native has been sentenced to a three year term in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to a marijuana charge in the U.S. District Court.
Donald G. Cornelius listed an address in Orlando, Fla., when he was taken into custody by Trooper Aaron Kirlin of the Wyoming Highway Patrol on Interstate 80 in the area of Elm Mountain Aug. 19, 2012, but is known to be a city native.
He had listed his address as 71 Ann St. in Chicopee when he was arrested in Westfield on Aug. 13, 2012, and charged with disorderly conduct after a disturbance near an Elm Street bar.
Cornelius had been operating a tractor trailer on Interstate 80 in the area of Elm Mountain, Wyo., with co-driver Anthony M. Swift of Chicopee when Kirlin stopped the vehicle for a commercial inspection and elected to examine the load after his interest was piqued by statements made by Cornelius, the driver, as well as items listed in the truck’s log book, according to a press release issued by the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Kirlin found ten boxes which were not listed on the bill of lading for the load and were found to contain a total of 231 pounds of marijuana. The press release estimated the value of the seized marijuana at $1,386,000.
The trooper also found more than $3,000 in cash which was also seized.
Both men were taken into custody and arrested on felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Cornelius was arraigned in the Carbon County (Wyo.) District Court but the charges were dismissed when he was indicted on charges of conspiracy possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
A clerical worker in the federal court reports that, on April 29, Cornelius pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and was sentenced to a three year term of incarceration to be followed by two years of supervised release.
In addition he was fined $200 and assessed $100.
The second charge against Cornelius was dismissed, the clerk said.
A listing on the federal Bureau of Prisons web site shows Cornelius to be “in transit” and reports his projected release date as Nov. 9, 2015.
