SOUTH TAMPA BUSINESSMAN GETS 8-YEAR DRUG SENTENCE

As a shackled Dennis Fonte was led away by U.S. marshals to spend eight
years in prison, family and friends in the packed courtroom wept and
shouted their love and goodbyes.

Still, Fonte's attorney described the 97-month prison term handed down
Thursday as far from bleak.

"We're happy as we can be with the sentence in light of the circumstances,"
said Tampa lawyer Rick Terrana. "He was facing 20 years with a 10-year
minimum. I think we hit a home run."

Fonte, 47, the owner of a well-known south Tampa dry-cleaning business,
Morris Fonte & Sons, was found guilty in January of conspiring to deal in
cocaine.

Three informants, all convicted drug dealers and one of them a cousin of
Fonte, said they supplied Fonte with cocaine and bought it from him in the
mid-1990s. The deals happened in a house behind the business at Swann and
Howard avenues.

Fonte also was fined $15,000 and must serve five years of probation after
he is released.

Terrana had implored U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich to depart from federal
sentencing guidelines, which called for a 10-year minimum prison term.

He summoned four witnesses during the sentencing proceeding, which was held
in U.S. District Court in Tampa. Two of Fonte's friends spoke about his
volunteer activities with the Shriners and other organizations. Two
psychiatrists said he suffers from manic phases and can't always control
his behavior.

Last week, Katie Fonte testified that her husband's absence would cause
tremendous hardship because their 13-year-old son has a neurological disorder.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Preston countered Terrana's arguments for
leniency, saying Fonte already had been given credit for talking with
prosecutors after his conviction.

"Unfortunately, many defendants don't think about the impact of their
actions on their family, their friends and the community," Preston said.

Aldrich said she had never seen so many supporters at a sentencing. She
also said she received "a huge bundle of mail from just about everybody in
south Tampa" in support of Fonte.

"When I came on the federal bench 20 years ago, I thought sentencing would
be the worst part of my job," Aldrich said. "And I was absolutely right."

Aldrich, noting there was "very little evidence" in the case beyond the
informants' testimony, said Fonte deserved credit for taking
responsibility, but she saw no reason to reduce the penalty based on his
mental status or family situation.

"Now is the time for all of you in the back of the room to step up and be
supportive of Mr. Fonte and his family," she told his supporters.

Aldrich then asked Fonte if he had anything to say before she passed
sentence. In a near-whisper, he asked for mercy.

Outside the courtroom, Katie Fonte was consoled by dozens of family and
friends. She said she felt Aldrich "had a lot of compassion" but was
hamstrung by the sentencing guidelines.

"We were hoping for less," she said.