Convicted drug dealer gets 60 years

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EA man convicted on four felony counts of drug charges has been given 60 years in prison under the habitual offender law.

Voltaire Sullivan, 37, will spend the next 60 years in prison at hard labor following his sentencing in front of 26th Judicial District Judge Mike Nerren Monday. Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland, on behalf of District Attorney Schuyler Marvin, says Sullivan turned down a deal for 15 years in exchange for a guilty plea. Following trial in March 2015, he was sentenced to 38 years in prison for three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of marijuana.

“We proved to the judge that he has four prior felony convictions and he resentenced him to 60 years at hard labor to run concurrent,” he said. “I think they have to serve at least 75 percent of their time, so he’ll be in his 70s before he’s even eligible for parole.”

Sullivan was originally arrested Aug. 1, 2013 on three counts of distribution of crack cocaine, distribution of ecstasy, possession of Schedule II CDS crack cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm, illegal possession of a firearm while committing a drug felony and attempted escape.

Holland says Marvin has not yet decided whether they will pursue the additional charges of possession with intent to distribute a counterfeit Schedule I CDS and introducing contraband into or upon the grounds of any state correctional institution in light of Monday’s sentencing.

As of press time, a phone call to Tristen Gilley, the public defender for Sullivan, had not been returned.