A drug sting that began thousands of miles away, in Oregon, ultimately led a gaggle of law enforcement agents to an apartment in Alaska, where a convicted felon from Seattle had planned to peddle cocaine.
Prosecutors reported Friday that Otagus Demond Coverson, 39, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted last year of intended drug distribution. The sentence was based on the "three strikes" rule: convicts attempting to sell serious quantities of drugs after at least two prior drug-related convictions will spend the rest of their lives in federal prison.
Evidence showed that Drug Enforcement Administration agents picked off nearly 9 kilograms of cocaine in Oregon and used it as bait. The drugs were replaced with fake cocaine, which was delivered per Coverson's instructions to an apartment he kept in Alaska, a press release said.
When Coverson discovered the coke was fake, he attempted to elude law enforcement by jumping from his apartment's second story window, injuring himself.
Coverson has a long rap sheet, including three priors involving drug distribution, along with convictions for manslaughter and assault.