AUBURN - A morbidly obese drug dealer was transported straight to prison by Rural Metro Ambulance after he was sentenced in Cayuga County Court Wednesday to two years in prison.

Instead of going to the Cayuga County Jail to await transfer into the custody of the state Department of Correctional Services, Stephon Turo, 57, was transported directly to the Coxsackie Correctional Facility after he was sentenced for selling prescription pain medication from his Genoa home.

While Turo's attorney, Douglas Bates, asked for parole in light of his client's morbid obesity, visiting Wayne County Judge Stephen Sirkin said the state prison system is equipped to handle Turo's medical conditions.

Bates said Turo, who weighs between 570 to 600 pounds, suffers from kidney failure, various staph and strep infections and can walk only a few feet, even with the assistance of other people.

Turo was transported to court in the back of Ford F-150 pickup truck and was sentenced near the courthouse's loading dock.

After he was sentenced for the third-degree felony criminal sale of a controlled substance, 10 people helped move Turo from a chair placed in the bed of the truck to a stretcher before finally placing him into the back of an ambulance.

The ambulance was escorted by four Cayuga County Sheriff's Office correctional officers.

Cayuga County Assistant District Attorney Rome Canzano said he believed Turo had been selling prescription drugs for nearly 10 years.

Turo's wife, Claudette Turo, of 1138 Maple St., Genoa, was also sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation for helping her husband sell Hydrocodone.

Because Stephen Turo was the main distributor, Canzano said he believed a prison sentence was appropriate for him and that probation was appropriate for Claudette Turo even though both were charged with the same crime.

Also in court:

• An Auburn drug dealer was sentenced to four years in prison for selling cocaine in 2006.

David Kyles, 40, of 67 Owasco St., admitted before he was sentenced that he is a predicate felony offender who was convicted of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, in 1999.

Kyles, who pleaded guilty to third-degree felony criminal sale of a controlled substance on Sept. 2, also had several other felony drug convictions dating back to the early 1990s, Sirkin said.

Canzano said prosecution of the case was delayed to protect the identity of any undercover officers or informants involved with the sale.

• Terrance Hines, 29, of 19 James St., apartment 4A, Auburn, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison with 1.5 years of post-release supervision for the third-degree felony criminal sale of a controlled substance.

• Shateka McCartha, 28, of 915 James St., apartment C7, Syracuse, was sentenced to two years in prison with 1.5 years of post-release supervision for the third-degree felony criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net