TWO MEN SENTENCED AS HABITUAL FELONS

Two Hendersonville men were sentenced to time in prison recently after they
pleaded guilty to drug crimes and being habitual felons.

The men, 34-year-old Kenneth Mathis of High Point Apartments and
23-year-old Darius Powers of 717 Conner Ave., pleaded guilty Oct. 12 in
Henderson County Superior Court.

Mathis pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and to being a habitual
felon, Assistant District Attorney Corey Ellis said.

He was sentenced to between eight and 10 years in prison after pleading guilty.

Mathis had more than three previous felony convictions which led to him
being identified as a habitual felon, Ellis said. All of his prior
convictions involved drug offenses in Henderson County.

Powers pleaded guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in
Hendersonville and was sentenced to between five and seven years in prison.

He also had three prior felony convictions which led to the habitual felon
designation, Ellis said. All three of his prior convictions were for
selling counterfeit controlled substances, the prosecutor said.

The habitual felon status allows judges to sentence defendants to more
prison time than they would have received if they had not been assigned the
status.