Christopher DiBenedetto, 32, of Prince William County, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison with an additional eight years and six months suspended for selling cocaine. The office of Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced the sentencing on April 10. DiBenedetto sold the drugs to confidential informants working at the direction of the Fairfax County Police Department.
DiBenedetto was also ordered to pay restitution of $4,950 and serve five years probation, according to a release by the attorney general’s office.
The press release also stated:
DiBenedetto sold cocaine to one informant on five separate occasions between April and June 2014 and arranged to sell cocaine to a second informant. These transactions occurred in the Centreville area of Fairfax County.
According to a post-arrest interview, DiBenedetto acknowledged that he had sold cocaine to the informant on several occasions, with the largest single transaction being for approximately two ounces. He also acknowledged arranging to sell cocaine to the second informant. However, once he received that informant’s money, he simply kept it and never delivered the drugs, believing he was owed money from a previous drug transaction.
DiBenedetto was arrested the next day.
Virginia Assistant Attorney General Marc J. Birnbaum prosecuted the case at the request of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney. The case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department.
