Kansas City, Mo. — A Kansas City man was convicted Tuesday of selling a Prairie Village, Kan., woman a fatal dose of cocaine.
A federal jury deliberated less than two hours before finding Derrick Bruce Smith, 34, guilty of one count of distribution of cocaine resulting in death, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Testimony during the two-day trial indicated that on May 18, 2000, Elizabeth Callison, 20, and a friend met Smith outside a nightclub and agreed to go to Smith's mother's home. At the house, Smith gave cocaine to Callison. Almost immediately after ingesting the cocaine, she fell and began to convulse. She died later that morning at a hospital.
Under normal sentencing on charges of distributing cocaine, Smith would face a maximum of 20 years in prison without parole and a $1 million fine.
Instead, because of the statute sometimes referred to as the "Len Bias Law," Smith faces a minimum of 20 years without parole and could be sentenced to life without parole, plus a fine up to $1 million.
Bias was a University of Maryland basketball player who overdosed on cocaine in 1986, two days after he was the first player selected in the National Basketball Assn. draft.
The case against Smith is the first of its kind in the Western District of Missouri under the 15-year-old statute.
Smith also faces an additional punishment of 20 years without parole and a possible fine of $1 million on the possession with intent to distribute conviction.
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