Man gets 20 years for cocaine
5/20/2008 11:36 PM   0 comments on this story E-mail this story to a friend


By MIKE GELLATLY Staff writer
A recidivist cocaine trafficker and father of three was sentenced to spend the next 20 years in prison Tuesday during a tearful scene.
Shawn Madison, 32, was convicted for the third time for trafficking the narcotic as he entered a guilty plea.
Charged with his third offense, Madison pleaded guilty and avoided a potential 30-year maximum term.
With a visual display of support in the courtroom, Madison's family wept as Circuit Court Judge Jack Early discussed the plea agreement and the sentence, of which 85 percent must be completed.
Early shook his head when Madison's five-member family was described with children ages 13, 9 and 2.
"You've got three kids, son," Early said. "You've seen what cocaine does. You don't want people to start selling to them."
Madison was stopped on March 27 after an anonymous tip told North Augusta Public Safety about a drug deal. When he stepped out of his car, he was noticeably holding his groin area. When he released his hand, a baggy containing a powdery substance fell to the ground.
The bag contained 27 grams of cocaine.
Early sentenced Madison and wished him good luck but not before bemoaning the "terrible" impact of illicit drugs.
"It is a different situation when you have a family like this young man has," he said. "Balance that with the day-in, day-out troubles in this courtroom. I'd say 85 percent of the problems we see in this courtroom are related to drugs."

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