LENOIR COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT)- A man spent thousands of dollars on illegal drugs and now that money is going to local school children.
29-year-old Latrell Wooten plead guilty to two counts of Attempted Trafficking Cocaine in Lenoir County this week.
We've been tracking that drug money to see how it ended up in the Lenoir County School System.
It all started at the Bojangles in La Grange.
Latrell Wooten showed up with $3,200. With it he bought 4.5 ounces of cocaine from an undercover detective.
"The money has to go somewhere,” said Michael Muskus, Lenoir County A.D.A.
Muskus says a judge decides whether money seized from illegal transactions will go to the Department of Revenue, the local sheriff's office, or school system.
"We asked him, and he did." In Wooten's case, Muskus asked the judge to forfeit the money to Lenoir County Schools.
"It's based on law, so we benefit from the law,” said Lidia Guzman with Lenoir County Schools.
We checked. Lenoir County Schools received more than $400,000 last year in fines and forfeitures. The $3,200 seized from the drug bust will make up less than 1% of the money Lenoir County Schools brings in from court fines and forfeitures this year. But every little bit helps.
"We've had you know, budget restraints,” said Guzman.
She says they'll use the $3,200 to fund the county's two charter schools as well as pay some of the district's $3.3 million utility bill. "We have bills that need to be paid just like at your house and that's why I said every little bit helps,” Guzman said.
Money that was once used for bad is now used for good.
"If this money can go to help somebody, go to help some kids, I think that's a good thing at the end of the day,” said Muskus.
Wooten's defense lawyer tells us Wooten has already served 15 months for the crime committed back in 2008. Now that he's appealed and plead to lesser charges, Wooten will serve another 15 months in jail.
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