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3 priors, 8.25 grams lead to several years in prison for Georgia repeat offender

The US Attorney called the convict a 'career criminal who thought he was above the law.'
Credit: Athens-Clarke County Police
Patrick O'Neal Kennedy of Athens was sentenced on May 30, 2019 to 151 months in federal prison on charges of distribution of cocaine base.

MACON, Ga. — US Attorney Charles "Charlie" Peeler says a 43-year-old career drug dealer with a long criminal history will spend more than 12 years in prison after his conviction for distribution of cocaine.

Patrick O'Neal Kennedy of Athens was sentenced in Macon Wednesday on charges of distribution of cocaine base.

According to Peeler, on March 23, 2018, a confidential source exchanged a series of text messages with Kennedy regarding a crack cocaine deal. FBI agents, along with officers from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, worked with the source to engineer the purchase of the illegal drugs.

Under surveillance, the source purchased the crack cocaine from Kennedy, who admitted he possessed 8.25 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute them, Peeler said.

"This individual has been a menace to the peace and safety of citizens in Athens-Clarke County, and he will now spend more than 12 years behind federal prison bars," Peeler said. "l want to thank our law enforcement partners, including the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, for rooting out a career criminal who thought he was above the law."

Kennedy already has three prior drug convictions, all in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court: a 2017 conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; a 2014 conviction for possession of cocaine; and a 2006 conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

After this most recent conviction, Judge C. Ashley Royal sentenced Kennedy to 151 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

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