T
The420Guy
Guest
A bogus return address on a package that was mailed from Southern
California almost two years ago landed a Huntsville man in prison with a
life sentence last week.
A jury convicted Joseph P. Hart, 25, of Oakdale Circle on Wednesday of
trafficking in 3 pounds of marijuana.
Assistant District Attorney Don Rizzardi said the case originated in
California in December 2000 after a postal inspector was alerted about a
package with a bogus return address. The forwarding address belonged to
an apartment on Winchester Road in Huntsville, Rizzardi said.
The California postal inspector obtained permission from a federal court
judge there to open the package, Rizzardi said. He found 3 pounds of
marijuana inside and called a postal inspector in Huntsville, he said.
The Huntsville postal inspector asked for the package to be sent here,
Rizzardi said. When it arrived, he called the Huntsville Police
Department's Organized Crime Unit.
The postal inspector dressed as a letter carrier delivered the package
to the Winchester Road address, Rizzardi said. About 20 minutes later,
Hart arrived, he said.
He was detained by police as he was leaving the apartment. When police
searched Hart, the officers discovered he didn't have the package. But
he had a measuring scale that could weigh up to four ounces. He also had
an empty plastic sandwich bag in his pocket, Rizzardi said.
Police investigator Jim Winn testified that he and the other officers
believed the contents of Hart's pockets gave them reasons to hold him.
Inside the apartment, Hart told police that he and a friend had the
package delivered to the apartment on Winchester Road, Rizzardi said.
They were going to divide the marijuana into smaller parcels.
Hart testified during his trial that the package was sent to the
apartment by an acquaintance named Roger in California. "Roger" was
trying to keep a Christmas present secret from his own girlfriend, here
in Huntsville, and he wanted an address where he could send the gift,
Hart testified.
Rizzardi told the jury that Hart arranged for the man in California to
mail the package to Hart's girlfriend, Katherine Cutts, at the apartment
on Winchester Road. Hart's name was not on the package, and Cutts was to
sign using the false name on the package, Karen Smith, he said.
The police never caught "Roger," Rizzardi said. Neither Cutts nor Hart
cooperated with police by revealing the location or identity of Roger.
Cutts, who testified in court for the prosecution about her involvement
in the case, was originally charged with trafficking in marijuana but
was granted youthful offender status. The trafficking charge will not
show up on her record.
The police formally charged Hart with trafficking marijuana on Dec. 15,
2000. He was indicted by a grand jury in May 2001. He was free during
the trial in lieu of $5,000 bail.
After a daylong trial, the jury deliberated three hours before returning
the verdict. Hart has two prior felony convictions from 1997 on charges
of first-degree assault and possession of cocaine, Rizzardi said.
Circuit Judge Loyd H. Little Jr. sentenced Hart to life in prison as a
repeat offender and ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine. He will be
eligible for parole in 10 years, Rizzardi said.
Hart is in the Madison County Jail waiting to be moved to a state prison
facility. An appeal bond is not available for anyone who is sentenced to
20 years or more.
California almost two years ago landed a Huntsville man in prison with a
life sentence last week.
A jury convicted Joseph P. Hart, 25, of Oakdale Circle on Wednesday of
trafficking in 3 pounds of marijuana.
Assistant District Attorney Don Rizzardi said the case originated in
California in December 2000 after a postal inspector was alerted about a
package with a bogus return address. The forwarding address belonged to
an apartment on Winchester Road in Huntsville, Rizzardi said.
The California postal inspector obtained permission from a federal court
judge there to open the package, Rizzardi said. He found 3 pounds of
marijuana inside and called a postal inspector in Huntsville, he said.
The Huntsville postal inspector asked for the package to be sent here,
Rizzardi said. When it arrived, he called the Huntsville Police
Department's Organized Crime Unit.
The postal inspector dressed as a letter carrier delivered the package
to the Winchester Road address, Rizzardi said. About 20 minutes later,
Hart arrived, he said.
He was detained by police as he was leaving the apartment. When police
searched Hart, the officers discovered he didn't have the package. But
he had a measuring scale that could weigh up to four ounces. He also had
an empty plastic sandwich bag in his pocket, Rizzardi said.
Police investigator Jim Winn testified that he and the other officers
believed the contents of Hart's pockets gave them reasons to hold him.
Inside the apartment, Hart told police that he and a friend had the
package delivered to the apartment on Winchester Road, Rizzardi said.
They were going to divide the marijuana into smaller parcels.
Hart testified during his trial that the package was sent to the
apartment by an acquaintance named Roger in California. "Roger" was
trying to keep a Christmas present secret from his own girlfriend, here
in Huntsville, and he wanted an address where he could send the gift,
Hart testified.
Rizzardi told the jury that Hart arranged for the man in California to
mail the package to Hart's girlfriend, Katherine Cutts, at the apartment
on Winchester Road. Hart's name was not on the package, and Cutts was to
sign using the false name on the package, Karen Smith, he said.
The police never caught "Roger," Rizzardi said. Neither Cutts nor Hart
cooperated with police by revealing the location or identity of Roger.
Cutts, who testified in court for the prosecution about her involvement
in the case, was originally charged with trafficking in marijuana but
was granted youthful offender status. The trafficking charge will not
show up on her record.
The police formally charged Hart with trafficking marijuana on Dec. 15,
2000. He was indicted by a grand jury in May 2001. He was free during
the trial in lieu of $5,000 bail.
After a daylong trial, the jury deliberated three hours before returning
the verdict. Hart has two prior felony convictions from 1997 on charges
of first-degree assault and possession of cocaine, Rizzardi said.
Circuit Judge Loyd H. Little Jr. sentenced Hart to life in prison as a
repeat offender and ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine. He will be
eligible for parole in 10 years, Rizzardi said.
Hart is in the Madison County Jail waiting to be moved to a state prison
facility. An appeal bond is not available for anyone who is sentenced to
20 years or more.
