Woman Convicted of Using Daughter, Nephew to Sell Drugs

A Panorama City woman has been convicted in Los Angeles federal court of using her daughter and a nephew to sell rock cocaine near an elementary school.

Terris Ann Paige, 34, was convicted Tuesday of four counts of selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school in April and May and of two counts of using a minor to distribute the drug.

Paige faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Three of the four drug deals took place inside Paige’s apartment, which was across the street from Liggett Street Elementary School, Assistant U.S. Atty. Jean A. Kawahara said. The fourth took place on a street near the school, she said.

In one of the deals, Paige’s 15-year-old nephew handled the transaction, and in another, Paige’s 13-year-old daughter helped her, Kawahara said. Undercover Los Angeles police arrested Paige May 25 at her apartment.

U.S. District Judge Harry L. Hupp found Paige guilty after a 1-day bench trial.

Paige is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 31. If sentenced consecutively, she could receive a maximum of 280 years in prison. She has no prior drug convictions, said Kawahara, who would not comment on what sentence she considered appropriate.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office dropped cocaine selling charges against Paige after a federal grand jury indicted her in June.