A young man already serving a three-year prison sentence on a gang assault conviction admitted in Genesee County Court this morning that he attempted to sell cocaine to an undercover agent Oct. 14 in the Town of Batavia.
Leonard A. Johnson III was dressed in a green prison jumpsuit and accompanied by two state corrections officers and had family members in the courtroom as he appeared before Interim Judge MIchael Pietruszka to plead guilty to the Class C felony of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.
The plea satisfies five pending charges, none of which had yet been referred to the grand jury, stemming from an investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the sale of narcotics in the city and Town of Batavia.
The plea deal includes the stipulation that any sentence imposed by the County Court in September be served concurrently with Johnson's current prison term. The conviction carries a maximum possible sentence of five years.
Johnson entered the guilty plea to the gang assault charge, along with two accomplices, in January. The three young men were accused of beating and kicking a victim on Holland Avenue.
Because of the timing of that conviction and these additional charges, this new conviction will not count on Johnson's record as a second felony offense, which is an issue only if Johnson is ever charged with another felony. (Two prior felony convictions for sentencing purposes could lead to a longer prison term.)
Under questioning from Pietruszka, Johnson said he is currently undergoing substance use counseling while incarcerated.
