Man convicted as habitual felon found guilty of selling cocaine near child care center
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man with prior drug convictions will spend years behind bars for selling drugs near a child care center.
After a three day trial, Clarence Dailey, 51, was found guilty of two counts of selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a child care center, two counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, and two counts of knowingly maintaining a dwelling for the keeping and selling of controlled substances, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.
Judge Joshua Willey of Craven County sentenced Dailey to a minimum of 12 and a half years in prison.
On the afternoons of February 25 and February 27 of 2019, Dailey sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant who was working on behalf of the Wilmington Police Department.
Both sales took place at Dailey’s home on South 12th Street, which was located within a few hundred feet of the Mary Washington Howe Pre-Kindergarten Center on Meares Street.
In a later interview with law enforcement, Dailey admitted to obtaining a steady supply of 12-14 grams of crack cocaine on a weekly basis, selling to multiple other people, and knowing of the school’s proximity to his home. The defendant obtained habitual felon status through multiple prior drug convictions, an obtaining property by false pretenses conviction, and a prior conviction for possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
“I want to thank the Wilmington Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Unit for their efforts in building a strong case against this defendant. One of the most important things we must do in our justice system is to protect the children of this community, so shutting down a known drug house that was operating in the vicinity to one of our county’s outstanding public preschools is a big step in the right direction. I also want to thank the jury for serving this community and delivering a fair and just verdict in this matter,” Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews said.
