Federal drug trial continued again

Kelly Foreman
Register News Writer

LEXINGTON Tue, May 13 2008

— A federal drug trial set to begin Tuesday was rescheduled for the second time because of one defendant’s medical issues.
Otto Frank Wilhite Sr., Calvin L. Goddard, Brenda Ann Fagan and Willie Bellamy Jr., all were scheduled for a trial, which was continued last month because Goddard reportedly had to undergo emergency surgery. According to the continuance motion, Goddard still is recovering from the surgery and is scheduled to begin daily radiation Thursday as treatment for his neuroendocrine carcinoma.
“Dr. (William L.) Barrett told Mr. Goddard that he needs to begin daily radiation treatment on approximately March 27 and will need to receive radiation each day, Monday through Friday, for about seven weeks,” the motion states. “He might need to undergo chemotherapy in addition to radiation.”
The motion was granted Monday. Now, it will be June 17 before the defendants are tried, said U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman in a continuance order.
Wilhite, Goddard, Fagan and Bellamy are charged with various cocaine and oxycodone charges including participating in a conspiracy to distribute the drugs, possession, attempting to possess with intent to distribute and more. One co-defendant, Alan Stamper, previously pleaded guilty to the charges. On Monday, Bellamy entered a guilty plea to his part of the crime.
In the plea, Bellamy admits the United States could prove that he, together with his wife and co-defendant, Fagan, as well as Wilhite, Goddard and Stamper, agreed to distribute quantities of Oxycontin in Madison, Fayette and Lee counties.
Wilhite sold 50 80-mg Oxycontin tablets to a confidential informant in the spring and summer of 2007 which he obtained from Bellamy, the plea states.
“At various times during the spring and summer of 2007, the defendant (Bellamy) traveled from Detroit and to the Cincinnati area and distributed quantities of Oxycontin, 80-mg tablets, from co-defendants Fagan and the defendant and sold them to Wilhite, Goddard and/or Stamper, to be sold in the Fayette, Madison and Lee County areas,” the plea states.
A stipulation of the agreement is that Bellamy “cooperate fully” with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including testifying against the remaining defendants.
Wilhite, 73, of Lexington, is the plaintiff in a case in Madison Circuit Court where he is suing the city of Richmond. The suit stems from another drug case from 2006 which ultimately was dismissed. Wilhite claims in the suit that Richmond Police during a traffic stop confiscated $16,000 from a suitcase found in the trunk of his Mercedes roadster during the traffic stop and only logged into evidence $12,255.
Wilhite also alleged that when the traffic stop occurred at 2 a.m. on that rainy November morning, the police only pulled him over because he was black. Little is left of the lawsuit after Madison Circuit Judge William Jennings last month granted a summary judgment requested by attorneys for the city regarding a large portion of the money.
As of Wednesday, there had been no movement in the case since the summary judgment.
Kelly Foreman can be reached at kforeman@richmondregister.com or 624-6694.