Nurse's aide sentenced in city cocaine case

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By Sally Voth -- svoth@nvdaily.com

HARRISONBURG -- A nurse's aide from Winchester was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court to two years in prison for her role in a cocaine conspiracy.

Elizabeth Ann "Libby" Cooper, 28, was sentenced by Judge Samuel G. Wilson on Oct. 21, according to online court records.

She had pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. As part of a plea agreement, six counts of cocaine distribution were dismissed, according to court records.

According to a statement of facts filed in the case, Cooper began buying cocaine from Jose Manuel Roque-Bautista, aliases "George" and "Jose Manuel Bautista-Roque," of Winchester, last December.

There is no confirmed date of birth for Roque-Bautista, according to Brian McGinn, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. attorney's office in the Western District of Virginia. McGinn said Cooper was a certified nurse's aide who worked at Winchester Medical Center.

The defendants met at least once a week between late January and late February, the statement of facts says. It says Cooper sold cocaine during six undercover deals in that time frame. The amounts sold ranged from 3.8 grams to 14.3 grams.

Police officers stopped Cooper on Feb. 19, and she agreed to cooperate, which led to Roque-Bautista's arrest, the statement says.

Cooper told investigators she only bought cocaine from Roque-Bautista, and she got the drugs in public parking lots or country roads, according to the statement.

Court records indicate that Roque-Bautista was sentenced to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and had two distribution counts dropped. Additionally, he forfeited about $5,200, most of which was found in his bedroom when his trailer was searched last February.

The search turned up about 584 grams of cocaine, according to another statement of facts filed in the case.

The judge has recommended that both defendants receive intensive drug treatment, according to court records. Roque-Bautista faces deportation after he serves his sentence.