Cuffy sentenced to 12 months in jail

DECATUR - The key prosecution witness in the slaying of DeKalb County Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown has been sentenced to 12 months in jail for evidence tampering in a different case. <br> <br> Former DeKalb County Deputy Patrick Cuffy had been in jail since September on murder charges stemming from a March 18th shootout at his home. He pleaded guilty to the tampering charge for hiding a gun used in the shootout. Drug dealer Nigel George was found dead a few miles from Cuffy&#39;s home after the shootout. <br> <br> Last week prosecutors tried to allow Cuffy to plead guilty to the tampering charge without getting further jail time. <br> <br> Superior Court Judge Robert Mallis imposed the 12 months yesterday. <br> <br> Cuffy will get credit for the time he has been in jail. <br> <br> Cuffy initially was charged with murder but prosecutors downgraded it to aggravated assault in exchange for a guilty plea. But Cuffy withdrew his plea when another man was sentenced to life plus ten years in the drug dealer&#39;s slaying. <br> <br> In exchange for immunity, Cuffy has told police he was one of four men who went to Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown&#39;s house the night he was gunned down in his driveway in December 2000. He said they were acting on instructions from former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey.