Drug dealer faces 21 years in prison

Greg Tuttle

Wednesday, April 19, 2000 | 10:31 a.m.

A drug dealer who poured his profits into expensive homes and cars has been convicted after a two-year legal battle with federal prosecutors in three separate trials.

A U.S. District Court jury found Andre McGee guilty on Tuesday of conspiracy to possess cocaine and acquitted him on a drug possession charge. The Las Vegas man faces a sentence of about 21 years in prison at a hearing scheduled Aug. 2.

The single conviction followed a seven-day trial in which prosecutors narrowed their case against McGee following two mistrials. The initial indictment also charged McGee with several counts of money laundering.

"We didn't proceed on the money laundering charges" at the third trial, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Ayers. "The case was cleaner without them."

McGee was described as a drug kingpin who bought cocaine in California and Las Vegas between 1990 and 1997, then hid the profits by purchasing fancy cars and homes worth about $1 million.

But the government's case failed at trials in December 1998 and again two months ago when jurors could not agree on a verdict.

At both trials, defense attorney Thomas Pitaro said the government's case was built on statements from unreliable witnesses.

Ayers said some witnesses at the second trial changed their story, and prosecutors decided not to use their testimony at the third trial.

McGee's former girlfriend, JoAnne Campbell, 41, was acquitted last month in federal court on similar charges.