AUBURN -- A 34-year-old drug dealer who claimed police framed him by replacing his fake cocaine with the real stuff was sentenced in Cayuga County Court Thursday to 18 years in prison with 12 years of post-release supervision.

Troy Kenney, of 30 Aurora Street, had faced up to 48 years in prison after he was found guilty by a jury on April 20 of four counts of criminal sale of cocaine and four counts of criminal possession of cocaine, all felonies.

With drug-related felony convictions in 1991 and 1997, in addition to a juvenile record that began when Kennedy was 12 years old, Assistant Cayuga County District Attorney Rome Canzano said Kennedy has never been anything but a criminal.

"He is a hustler, a drug dealer, a person who has never positively contributed to society; ever," Canzano said.

With the 1997 conviction, Kennedy was not released from prison on his six to 12-year sentence until after he maxed out, Canzano said.

With a 35 page report detailing Kennedy's prison violations, which included smuggling prison contraband, Canzano said he believes Kennedy will re-offend and that it would be in the community's best interest to sentence Kennedy to the maximum allowed by law.

"There is no crystal ball into the future, but if we look into the past we can make a pretty good guess," Canzano said. "He will deal again when he is released and will deal while he is in prison."

When he was given a chance to address the court, Kennedy, who was representing himself after he dismissed his lawyer, said he was framed and that he was not allowed to properly defend himself at trial.

"The bottom line is that the criminal sale in this case; they were fake drugs," Kennedy said. "That's the bottom line. If I had the opportunity to see these lab reports ... I could have proved my case."

Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone told Kennedy that he did receive a fair trial, which ultimately resulted in his conviction.

"Mr. Kennedy, you were given a fair trial and I thought you presented a fairly good case, as well," Leone said..