Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty

A Cowen man accused of selling morphine to a confidential informant has pleaded guilty to the crime in Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Donald E. Chaffin

Donald E. Chaffin, age 27, of Dennison Run Road in Cowen, pleaded guilty to the felony crime of Delivery of a Controlled Substance in connection with his sale of morphine to an informant working for the State Police on May 14, 2012. Chaffin remains incarcerated pending a pre-sentence report and sentencing hearing. He has been in jail since his arrest on June 29, 2012. 

Chaffin pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with the crime. Ordinarily, an accused can not be convicted of a felony crime unless his case has been presented to a Grand Jury and the Grand Jury returns an indictment. However, an accused can waive presentation of the case to the Grand Jury, and agree to plead guilty to a charge drawn up by the Prosecutor, which is known as an Information. Chaffin waived presentment to the Grand Jury.

According to the original criminal complaint filed against Chaffin by State Police Trooper S.C. Baier, Chaffin sold half a morphine pill to a confidential informant on May 14, 2012. Chaffin sold the pill to the informant for $30.00, and the sale occurred at the bottom of the stairs leading to the residence of Tim Malcomb on Park Street in Cowen, which is within 1,000 feet of the Glade Elementary School.

The informant was provided with one $20 bill and one $10 bill. Both of those bills were later located in Chaffin's possession as Chaffin was attempting to hide the currency. According to the complaint, Chaffin said that "we should never have sent someone to buy drugs from him" and further "to tell him hi."

Because morphine is a Schedule II narcotic substance, the prison penalty for this crime is not less than one year but not more than 15 years. In addition, since the sale occurred within 1,000 feet of a school, and because the drug is a narcotic, the minimum prison term could be tripled; however, the State as part of the plea agreement is not seeking to enhance Chaffin's sentence. As such, he will face not less than one but not more than 15 years.