MOBILE, Alabama April 19 2013 – A former Montgomery police officer pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge today, admitting that he conspired with an Irvington narcotics dealer to sell marijuana.Lyvanh Rasavong, 43, came to court dressed in a black suit and striped tie. He said nothing except to answer “yes” and “no” questions from U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose.
The judge accepted the plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for July. Rasavong faces a maximum of five years in prison, but defense attorney Richard Holmes said he expects his client to be eligible for probation under advisory sentencing guidelines.
“We’re hoping for straight probation, but he understands that’s at the discretion of the judge,” he said.
Rasavong resigned his position from the Montgomery Department of Public Safety in December amid the drug investigation. He had been employed by the department since 1998 and was working a desk at police headquarters when he resigned.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Vann told DuBose that law enforcement authorities learned that co-defendant Somphith “Mike” Khemmanivanh was selling high-grade marijuana from his home in Irvington. She said the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office got a warrant to search the home and, when deputies arrived, they found Khemmanivanh and Rasavong inside with 4 pounds of the drug.
“Both of them confessed, and here we are,” Vann said.
Khemmanivanh has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The plea agreement contains an offer for a leniency recommendation by prosecutors in exchange for providing useful information to law enforcement investigators. Holmes declined to comment on that or other aspects of the case.
“We don’t want to devalue any information that may be valuable to them,” he said.
source- AL.com