AA member Leslie Mitchell who was an ex-con had his home raided and he had eight small marijuana plants, cocaine, steroid pills, liquid steroids, drug paraphernalia, $3,590 in cash, a .22 caliber handgun and a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition. He had been on probation for having 16 ounces of heroin! He only served 9 months in jail.
VINELAND — An ex-con enrolled in the state’s intensive supervision program (ISP) who was arrested March 7 on drug and weapons charges had been visited just four days earlier by an ISP officer, a state judiciary spokeswoman said.
Leslie H. Mitchell, 43, was charged with multiple counts of drug possession and distribution offenses, as well as violation of parole after police made the discovery March 7. He is accused of growing marijuana, possessing a handgun and selling cocaine and two types of steroids.
“The last visit was March 3,” said Tamara Kendig, spokeswoman for the New Jersey State Judiciary, which runs the intensive supervision program.
“This person had reported to the ISP office on March 5, two days before the arrest. An officer was scheduled to visit the home later in the evening on March 7. He had already observed the arrest though and so did not go through with the visit.” Mitchell was allowed into the ISP on Jan. 27, 2011. He had originally been imprisoned on May 11, 2010, after he was convicted of possession of more than five ounces of heroin. Captain Thomas Ulrich of the Vineland Police Department said he had been caught with 16-ounces of the substance.
He could have received a maximum sentence of eight years, but was released after less than nine months in prison.
ISP is a program in which convicts are released early from prison and are allowed to stay out so long as they follow a set of guidelines.
“Generally speaking, the guidelines are the same,” said Kendig. “You’re required to maintain employment, and he was employed. Curfews are imposed, although the curfew can change. Depending on whether someone’s compliant, as you move along they may change your curfew a little bit. You’re required to pay outstanding fines.”
She added that Mitchell did have one violation during his release for possession of alcohol in April 2011.
“He was required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and had been in attendance,” she said.
He also had paid $4,380 out of $4,630 in fines that he owed.
When police executed a warrant and raided Mitchell’s apartment, he had eight small marijuana plants, cocaine, steroid pills, liquid steroids, drug paraphernalia, $3,590 in cash, a .22 caliber handgun and a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition.
The ATF is tracing the weapon.
Mitchell was lodged in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail as well as a no-bail warrant for violating his parole.
http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2012/03/officer_visited_vineland_ex-co.html
