Paul Sr. is the father of Paul Jr., co-defendant with Jeff, Elaine’s son. Paul Jr. was working at HowardUniversity at the time of his arrest. He has been sentenced to 40 years in prison on three separate accounts. Beyond his own sentence, the impact of his incarceration has deeply affected his family as well. Paul Jr. was recently transferred to Fort Dixx in Texas with no explanation given, subsequently cutting him off from physical contact with his relatives due to travel expenses. When I visited with Paul Sr. his wife was bed ridden behind closed doors.

Q: When was Paul arrested?

December 5th of 1990. He was 25 years old. When I came in the house that morning they had been here already with my daughter and Lois. When I came though they had already knocked the door down. They thought Paul Jr. was here or that something here belonged to him. In the meanwhile, when I got in the door I hollered five times because I thought we’d been stuck up. But there must have been 30 policemen in here.

I walked in the door and they said, “What’s your name?” and I said, “Paul.” And they said “You’re under arrest.” I had a ‘88 Chrysler parked out there, three months behind on payments- how could they think I was the boss of a drug deal? I sat in Baltimore City Jail for seven days. There were rats, roaches and mices all over that joint. It’s still the same way- they got drugs and everything else in there. When I got locked up I had one dollar and twenty cents. It put me in bad health. I walk with a cane now.

"His mother, she's serving the time with him..."

I stayed in court from 1990-1992 until they found me not guilty. I was on trial five months, six days, two hours and five minutes before they found me not guilty. I had to go to court because they said I was in conspiracy.

Q: Why did they have a case against you? What was the evidence?

A phone call! That’s all they could measure it up to. The name of the case was the “cell phone case.” They said I was on the phone one day and said something about meeting a guy at 9 th and O [streets] and the prosecutor made it out that I was talking about an 1/8 th of a kilo. But that’s the corner I work on. I never dealt no drugs in my life. Never in my life. Never smoked no reefer, nothin’.

Q: What was Paul charged with?

They charged Paul with two counts in federal court. Intent to distribute. They said it was cocaine at first, but then they said it was crack- but they never brought no crack to the trial. But they found Paul guilty on two counts. Each one carried five years. He has to serve at least 85% of that time. Then they came back though and charged Paul with life [for another charge]. It was the Rico Act >>> meaning the only way you come out is in a box. He was sentenced to life but then they cut it back down to 30 years. His lawyer was disbarred by the way.

It put his mom in bad shape, too. His mother, she’s serving time with him, too.

Q: Was the jury aware of how long he was sentenced for?

It was over with for them- all they knew was that he was found guilty on two counts.

Q: How did your son get involved with drugs?

I had no inkling. He wasn’t living here at the time.

Q: Where is he serving time now?

Texas. I can’t get to Texas. He started at Cumberland, and then Ft. Dixx, then Allenwood. He might have been in Allenwood before he went to Cumberland. I’m not sure. I visited him in Cumberland and Allenwood. Allenwood’s in… it’s a part of… Virginia? Wait, Cumberland… it’s in the direction of…

When he was found guilty he was charged with two different counts at five years each. But more witnesses came while he was in jail. So then he gets larger charges. Witnesses said they worked for Paul [these “snitches” were able to reduce their sentences by giving information up against Paul Jr.].

Q: Do you think Mandatory Minimums have a deterrent effect?

You get caught doing wrong you should go to jail. But they’re just locking people up for nothing now though. Paul had never been locked up in his life. This kid had never been locked up for nothing.

Q: Does Paul Jr. have children?

His son will be 16 soon. He plays basketball, too. He’s going to basketball camp now. He lives with his mom here in DC.

Q: Have they been able to visit him at all?

Well, since he has been in Texas he hasn’t seen anyone.