City man sentenced to probation for selling cocaine

Drug Enforcement Administration agents photograph cocaine in this 2018 file photo. DEA

A city man was sentenced to five years of probation for selling cocaine on Tuesday in Cortland County Court as part of a plea agreement, according to court papers.

Danny L. Marks, Jr., 40, pled guilty in July to felony third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, avoiding additional indictments for selling cocaine as part of the bargain.

Marks admitted in July he sold cocaine more than once and agreed to pay $300 in restitution to the Cortland County Drug Task Force.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Simser told Judge David Alexander in July Marks could be sentenced to up to nine years in prison and two years of post-release supervision on the charge. Marks may be re-sentenced to the maximum if he violates probation, Simser said.

The plea deal was reached after Alexander issued a June 25 decision denying the defendant’s motions to suppress evidence and to reveal the drug informant’s identity. Alexander did grant Marks’ motion to prevent an audio recording of the drug deal from entering into evidence, noting the recording was inaudible, according to the decision.