A drug dealer with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced to 30 years in prison at a criminal court hearing on Monday, Jan. 9.

Calvin Reeves, 38, of S. Washington Avenue, Cookeville, appeared before Judge Leon Burns and pled guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover law officer on three separate dates in February and March of 2009.

He was sentenced to ten years on each crime, with the sentences to run consecutively, for an effective 30 year sentence.

The plea agreement was negotiated by District Attorney Randy York and Assistance DA Doug Crawford, with Reeves represented by Cookeville Attorney Mark Tribble.

“These charges were brought against Reeves by Putnam Sheriff’s Department investigators, and the charges involve Reeve’s violation of the Drug Free School Zone,” said Assistant DA Crawford.

Reeves sold drugs within 1,000 feet of Cookeville High School, the prosecutor said. Violation of the Drug Free School Zone provides for enhanced punishment for the crime of selling illegal drugs.

“Thirty years is as low as I was willing to accept if there was going to be a plea deal,” Crawford said.

“The reason the sentence is so harsh is that Mr. Reeves has a lengthy history of selling cocaine. He has six prior felony convictions involving cocaine since June of 2000 in cases in Humphreys, Montgomery, and Putnam County.”

His record of convictions “qualifies him as a career offender,” and that, along with the enhancement for violating the Drug Free School Zone law, could have brought a total sentence of 60 years in prison at 100 percent to serve if he had gone to trial and been convicted, Crawford said.

“And then there still would have been two other cocaine charges pending, waiting on deck and representing yet another sixty years given his career offender status.”

DA York said, “This is exactly the type of consequence I am committed to securing in these types of cases where persons like Mr. Reeves clearly ignore the lessons from their prior acts.

“I would like to thank Sheriff’s Detective Randy Roland and his fellow investigators involved in this case for their dedication and hard work.

The plea agreement gives Reeves credit for 572 days already served in jail.

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There’s work going on at the mall, the part that has been vacant for around eight years, but it’s not what you may be expecting.

Clean up has been going on over the past few days to make way for a new concept–one of Tennessee’s largest flea markets.

“It will look the same on the outside, but there will be improvements on the inside,” John Stites, owner of the property, said. “It will feature 126,000 square feet of space for farmers, craftsmen and anybody else to display and sell their wares in a 10×10 booth.”

The interior of the vacated portion is currently being cleaned out and gutted, with the roof to be replaced, the HVAC system updated, renovation of the sprinkler system and more.

He is hoping to be open by the first week in February, if the weather cooperates, with people already pre-booking booths.

It will be done in three phases, with the Peebles end opening up first. There will be a food court in operation once the three phases are completed, with a total of 600 booths in the entire facility.

“It will be more upscale than other area flea markets,” he said. “It will be heated and cooled and will feature 214 booths in the first phase.”

As for a name, Stites said it will be called the Cookeville Mall Flea Market.

“Since everyone knows where the Cookeville Mall is, that makes it easy for them to find,” he said.

The concept, which became official two weeks ago, will draw people from all over.

“I think we’ll be the best situated flea market between Nashville and Knoxville,” he said.

Charles Whited will be managing the market, which will only be open on the weekends–Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A website is in the works and more information will be published once it’s available.