DEALER PLEADS OUT OF 60 YEARS

Multiple Offender Sentenced To 15 Years

A 20-year-old Slidell area drug dealer avoided a potential 60-year sentence
Friday in a plea bargain with the prosecution.

Jason Michael Hotard, who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to
distribute marijuana after his trial began this week, also agreed to plead
at the same time to numerous other outstanding charges for which he was not
on trial at the time.

In exchange, the prosecution agreed not to seek more than a 15-year
sentence for the marijuana charge although Hotard faced up to 60 years
under multiple-offender laws, an attorney familiar with the case said.

Hotard was arrested in August 2000 after walking out of his mother's home
with a brown paper bag filled with 8 pounds of marijuana, which had a
street value of $25,000, police said.

A search of the home found another 5 pounds of marijuana, 450 Ecstasy
tablets, 28 grams of crack cocaine, steroids and drug paraphernalia, police
said at the time of the arrest.

Hotard pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute
Ecstasy, possession of more than 28 grams of cocaine, possession with
intent to distribute steroids and possession with intent to distribute
marijuana.

He also pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, second-degree battery,
aggravated criminal damage and disturbing the peace, charges that stemmed
from his attempt to collect a drug debt.

After his plea Wednesday, state District Judge Peter Garcia sentenced
Hotard to serve 15 years without the possibility of parole for all of the
charges except the distribution of marijuana.

On Friday, state District Judge Donald Fendlason revoked Hotard's probation
from a 1998 aggravated battery charge and sentenced him for the
distribution of marijuana charge to serve 15 years, which will run
concurrently with his previous sentences.

Slidell police had described Hotard as the ringleader of a thriving
drug-trade network that targeted teens in Slidell and patrons of all-night
dance parties in New Orleans.