INFORMATION LEADS TO LENIENCY FOR DEALER

A two-time loser cuts a deal and gets 17 1/2 years in federal prison
on drug charges. Is this right?

Dartanian "Funny" Gotay, 29, got a break on his drug conspiracy
sentence in U.S. District Court this week because he gave prosecutors
information about several other crimes. Gotay could have gotten
anything from 10 years to life.

Officials say Gotay gave them information about two unsolved murders
in Fort Myers, a jailhouse plot to eliminate witnesses in an upcoming
federal trial and various drug trafficking information.

Gotay is no hero. He was paying the bills for people who sold his
crack cocaine in some of Lee County's most drug-plagued neighborhoods.
He'd already spent 37 months in prison on another drug charge and was
still on probation when he was caught distributing this time. When
Gotay suspected he was being watched, he threatened the person who was
snitching on HIM with a gun, and said he'd kill the snitch's family.

Sure it rankles when a drug dealer like Gotay can continue his hustle
right into the courtroom because he has information valuable to law
enforcement and prosecutors.

However, that's the way it works. The truth is that law enforcers
would solve relatively few serious crimes without the help of
confidential informants and crooks aiming for leniency.