ROGERSVILLE — A Knoxville man nabbed last year for cocaine possession during a false kidnapping investigation was sentenced Thursday to eight years by Judge John Dugger.
Dwayne Charles Troutman, 20, pleaded guilty before Dugger Thursday to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and introduction of contraband into a penal institution.
The eight-year sentence has a 30 percent release eligibility, and he was also fined $2,100.
On Aug. 17, 2011, Mount Carmel police responded to a possible kidnapping complaint at Valley Village mobile home park at 1440 Wolfe Lane.
When MCPD Officer Ken Lunsford arrived, the supposed victim wasn’t there, but her purse was there, and her friends and family couldn’t tell him where she was or who she left with.
While interviewing witnesses, Lunsford observed a male later identified as Troutman arrive at the mobile home park in a vehicle.
A woman walked over to that vehicle and spoke to Troutman, who was still seated in the driver’s seat. Lunsford said their activity seemed suspicious, so he went to speak to Troutman.
“He refused to remove his hands from his lap, so I got him out of the car,” Lunsford stated ion his report. “When I had him walk over toward another officer, I heard something hit the ground. I looked down and saw a little blue pill bottle, and when I looked inside it contained crack cocaine.”
Lunsford said the rocks of crack cocaine weighed about 1.2 grams.
Lunsford’s son, Ken Lunsford Jr., happens to be a jailer at the Hawkins County Jail.
When Troutman was booked into the jail, he was searched by Lunsford Jr., who allegedly found an additional quantity of crack cocaine hidden in Troutman’s buttocks.
The only other guilty plea heard Thursday before Dugger was Anthony Lee Fugate, 53, 854 Old Stage Road, Rogersville, who was sentenced to two years and one day for reckless endangerment with a weapon, and three counts of assault stemming from an incident which occurred June 4, 2010.
He was originally charged with aggravated domestic assault, a class C felony which carries a penalty of 3-6 years. The charge was reduced to reckless endangerment, which is a Class D felony, on the condition that he continue mental health counseling and medication.