A federal appeals court says drug possession with intent to distribute is not the same as drug trafficking when it comes to sentencing a person convicted of the crime. A Savannah man appealed his conviction for possession of more than five grams of cocaine with intent to distribute, and his sentence of 18 years in prison. That 18 year sentence came with a provision that he be banned from receiving federal benefits for life. An 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the conviction on Friday but reversed on the benefits ban, ruling that was reserved for actual distribution of drugs.
