By STEPHANIE A. JAMES
Staff Writer
A 33-year-old Appomattox man was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of cocaine with the intent to sell.
Circuit Court Judge Kimberley S. White sentenced Jodie Pennix to 15 years in prison with all but five years suspended on the condition of 15 years good behavior and 10 years supervised probation upon release from incarceration.
As part of his sentence, Pennix driver’s license is suspended for six months.
On July 11, 2012, Appomattox Deputy Robbie Richardson pulled over a vehicle in which Pennix was a passenger, according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Brooke Sterne, who outlined the events that lead to Pennix’s arrest.
Sterne said that Richardson noticed that the driver of the vehicle appeared very nervous.
A subsequent search of the vehicle took place with a canine assisting.
While searching the vehicle, investigators discovered 23 bags of cocaine.
Sterne said that if Pennix’s case would had been tried before a jury, other passengers would have testified that the cocaine did not belong to them. They also would have testified that Pennix told them that he was going to sell the cocaine.
Defense attorney Jordan Davies represented Pennix.