DRUG DEALER, 69, TO BE IMPRISONED UNTIL SHE'S 92

A 69-year-old woman convicted of running a drug-trafficking operation
ran out of chances yesterday.

A request by Virginia Smith's attorney for leniency because of Smith's
age failed to sway the Franklin County Common Pleas judge who
sentenced her to 23 years in prison.

"I'm of the opinion that this lady was relying precisely on what you
are arguing to the court," Judge Daniel T. Hogan told Sam Shamansky,
Smith's attorney.

"She was relying on her age, assuming she wouldn't run into some judge
who would put her in prison till she dies. She factored that into her
business decisions."

Smith and her two sons were arrested in October on a 64-count
indictment related to running what authorities called the largest
pill-house operation in the county.

Assistant Prosecutor Mary Jane Martin said an investigation started in
1998 found that the family sold and bought Percocet, Valium, Ritalin,
Percodan and other prescription drugs. Authorities seized about 46,800
doses of drugs, worth about $125,000 on the street, and two vehicles
from a Morrill Avenue duplex.

At one point, authorities shut down the Morrill Avenue operation, but
Smith started dealing drugs at a S. 4th Street address, where she was
arrested in October.

After posting bail, Smith returned to dealing drugs, authorities
said.

In April, she pleaded guilty to racketeering, two counts of aggravated
drug trafficking and 12 charges of drug possession. When Smith entered
her guilty plea, Hogan told her that she would spend a minimum of two
years in prison and could be sentenced to up to 98 years.

Authorities think she continued to deal drugs while free on bail
awaiting sentencing.

Smith was supposed to be sentenced two weeks ago, but the defense
asked for more time to submit a memorandum to the court. Hogan planned
to grant the delay and revoke Smith's bail.

However, Smith fled the courthouse before Hogan could do so. Columbus
police caught her about two hours later in a car outside a home where
she'd been staying.

Smith, who authorities think was planning to leave town, was carrying
about $4,700 and the car had more than 5,000 pills in it.

Shamansky said that Smith did not help herself by continuing to sell
illegal drugs. He had hoped that Hogan would consider giving Smith a
prison sentence of less than 10 years, which would provide an option
for early release.

Instead, she will have to serve the entire 23-year prison
term.

"At age 70, to face a 23-year prison sentence, that's a death
sentence," Shamansky said. "There is no other way around it."

Shamansky said Smith fled the courthouse two weeks ago because she was
having a hard time coming to grips with going to prison.

Shamansky said Smith is sorry for her actions, but he was at a loss to
explain why she sold drugs even after she had been convicted.

"Only she can answer that," Shamansky said.

Hogan said Smith's actions show that, "If she would ever get out of
prison, she would simply go back to the same kind of behavior."

Smith could face additional charges related to the drugs found in the
car two weeks ago. But Martin said that might be unnecessary, given
the sentence imposed yesterday.

Smith's son William Smith, 24, is scheduled for trial today. He faces
a total of 37 counts of racketeering, drug possession, trafficking in
drugs and illegal use of food stamps.

Another of Smith's sons, Ricky Leitwein, 35, was sentenced to three
years in prison in April after pleading guilty to aggravated drug
trafficking and the sale of dangerous drugs.