Man who cooperated with feds gets drug sentence halved

Gary St. Louis Gordon's reward for cooperating against a drug kingpin and murderer was a long time coming.

But Gordon had reason to smile yesterday when it finally came in federal district court, more than five years after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on federal drug and related offenses.

U.S. District Judge Curtis Joyner shaved 10 years off Gordon's sentence, based on a recommendation from prosecutors.

Gordon told Joyner that he is "ready to get on with [his] life." With credit for time served and good behavior, Gordon could be released before the end of the year.

Gordon was the righthand man for Thomas, who ran a multimillion-dollar marijuana-distribution ring here in the 1990s.

When they were indicted in 1998, both fled to England, where they were arrested in 2001 and later sent back here separately to face charges.

Gordon pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and agreed to cooperate against Thomas.

Joyner sentenced Gordon to 20 years in federal prison in 2005. However, Thomas had not yet been returned to the U.S., and Joyner didn't consider the government's motion for leniency at Gordon's sentencing.

Thomas was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 35 years on drug-conspiracy and related offenses. Gordon testified against him at trial.

At the time, Thomas was also facing state murder charges in connection with a 1995 murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In April, a Philadelphia jury convicted Thomas of ordering the hit because he was concerned she might cooperate with federal authorities investigating his drug business. (Gordon was a key state witness in the murder trial.)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert K. Reed said the case was a tale of two men - Gordon, who chose to admit his guilt and cooperate, and Thomas, who denied any wrongdoing and continues, despite his convictions, to profess his innocence.

Once Thomas, 47, completes his federal sentence, he must begin serving a state sentence of life without parole. Gordon, on the other hand, could soon be a free man.