KNOXVILLE (WATE) – The Knox County District Attorney’s Office says a drug dealer was convicted Tuesday after he was caught with a kilogram of crystal meth.
Joshua Leroy Cooper, 33, was convicted of possession with intent to sell methamphetamine in a drug free zone. He must serve 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
During a plea hearing, prosecutors said on March 2, 2015, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit searched a home at 338 Oglewood Avenue where they found Cooper with over a kilogram of crystal meth, $12,398 in cash, a digital scale, and other items used to deal drugs.
Prosecutors said Cooper admitted he would buy large quantities of meth from his supplier, whom he had just paid around $100,000 the night before.
Cooper has previous convictions for robbery, aggravated assault and child abuse. He has also been identified as a member of the Aryan Nation gang.
