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Jamaican Don Christopher “Dudus” Coke Gets 23-Year US Jail Term

Confessed Jamaican gangster Christopher “Dudus” Coke was today sentenced to 23 years in prison, for narcotics trafficking, trafficking of firearms and racketeering as well as assault.

Federal Judge Robert P Patterson sentenced Coke to 20 years on the first count and three years on the assault charge, both sentences are to run consecutively.

His prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release during which time he will be subject to drug testing and supervision of the probation office.

Coke has 14 days in which to file an appeal if he so wishes.

In court this morning, an eloquent but nervous Coke asked that the judge be lenient and take into consideration his good deeds which he said included homework and remedial programs for students, as well as a curfew which took school aged children off the streets at a certain time.

He said he took care of his people and made sure they were alright.

Coke also told the court that he was innocent of allegations directed at him from Jermaine “Cowboy” Cohen and Anthony Brown, noting he was seeing Brown for the first time in his life when he appeared in court two weeks ago to testify against him.

Defense attorney Stephen Rosen also told the court that there was not on iota of truth in anything the witnesses said. This included cooperating witnesses one and two whose names cannot be released.

Coke family member lead by aunt Angella Jackson were very upset and had no comment but asked the press to respect the privacy of their family.

The extradition request led to a protracted dispute between the governments of Jamaica and the US.

The dispute lasted for almost a year and ended with then Prime Minister Bruce Golding acceding to the US request and sending both the Jamaica Defense Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force into Tivoli Gardens to arrest Coke in May 2010.

The ensuing standoff between the armed forces and gunmen resulted in the deaths of at least 73 persons, one soldier and many unanswered questions.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

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