Teen Gets 30 Years for Selling Cocaine

Wall

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — A Columbus teenager gets 30 years in prison but it could have been much worse.

Joctavious Wall, 17, was sentenced in Lowndes County Circuit Court for two counts of selling cocaine. Another count of selling cocaine and one for selling marijuana was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The charges stemmed from an undercover investigation in April 2013.

Wall originally went on trial Monday for two counts of armed robbery and burglary for supposedly taking cash, guns and other items from James and Karen Price during a July 24, 2012 home invasion robbery of their home on Golding Road in Lowndes County.

But after shaky testimony from Ranze Maddox, who along with Wall and Javontay Carr were charged in the robbery, prosecutors offered Wall a deal on the drug charges in exchange for dropping the robbery and burglary cases.

Wall has claimed he wasn’t involved in the robbery and that the others named him to protect the third person who actually was involved.

If convicted opn the drug charges, he could have faced life in prison that would have to be served almost day-for-day with little good-time credit. However, on the 30-year drug sentence, he could be out in less than 10 years. He also must pay a $10,000 fine.