Ferraro’s Son Found Guilty of Cocaine Sale at College

A jury on Saturday found John A. Zaccaro Jr. guilty of selling cocaine to an undercover officer two years ago, rejecting a defense lawyer’s argument that the officer had committed entrapment.

The jury deliberated for slightly more than two hours before finding the son of 1984 vice presidential candidate Geraldine A. Ferraro guilty of selling one-quarter gram of the drug in February, 1986, while he was a student at Middlebury College.

Zaccaro, 24, sat impassively as the verdict was announced, with his father, John A. Zaccaro, Ferraro and other family members behind him. He faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date was not immediately set.

Outside the courthouse, Ferraro read a statement criticizing Addison County State’s Atty. John Quinn for “prolonging the agony for two years.”

No Plea Agreement

She said her family had tried to set up a plea agreement shortly after Zaccaro was arrested but the parents refused to allow him to plead guilty to a felony drug sale charge, of which they believed he was innocent.

Ferraro indicated the guilty verdict would be appealed.

She blamed the incident on four individuals: Quinn, former Middlebury police detective Sgt. David Wemette, her son for doing something wrong and herself for the impact of her 1984 candidacy on her family.

She thanked the jury and judge for their fairness. Ferraro refused to answer reporters’ questions as she walked to her car and drove off.

No Witnesses Presented

Zaccaro’s defense attorney presented no witnesses but told jurors in closing arguments that they should find his client innocent by reason of entrapment.

In his instructions to the jurors, Judge Francis McCaffrey said they could find Zaccaro innocent by means of entrapment if they believed that he was induced to commit a crime he normally would not commit. Moreover, Zaccaro’s attorneys would have had to prove entrapment, McCaffrey said.

The judge also said the entrapment defense could not be used if the jury were to consider finding Zaccaro guilty of a lesser offense of cocaine possession.

During closing arguments, Zaccaro’s attorney, Charles Tetzlaff, said police acted improperly by sending an attractive female undercover agent to Zaccaro’s apartment to buy cocaine. He asked the jury to send a message to police that society should not condone such activities.

Quinn told jurors that the issue was whether Zaccaro sold cocaine to agent Laura Manning.

“Yes, she was deceptive. She’s not going to the defendant’s house dressed in a uniform. That would be ludicrous,” Quinn said. “I can’t deny Laura Manning is attractive. I can’t deny she’s female. But I can deny she was bait.”

Tetzlaff had said that Manning, an officer on her first undercover assignment, and not Zaccaro, had brought up the subject of drugs and a purchase.