Valentino Harris was sentenced on Monday to serve 10 years in federal prison on a Chattanooga cocaine conspiracy.

He appeared before Judge Sandy Mattice.

Authorities used wiretaps to help make the arrests. Harris was caught making nine calls involving drug deals.

It was the second go-around for Harris in Federal Court. In 2010, he was sentenced to serve 77 months for selling Ecstasy.

That came after Chattanooga Police said Harris was believed to be involved in several drive-by shootings in 2009. Harris at the time was charged with 12 counts of aggravated assault and 12 counts of felony reckless endangerment. He was also charged with possession of crack cocaine for resale and possession of a controlled substance for resale (Ecstasy).

Officers responded to a shots fired call at 100 Sawyer St. Police received a description of the vehicle involved in the drive-by shooting. Officers spotted the suspect vehicle at 1400 Riverside Dr. and, when they stopped the car, it was occupied by Christy McCarter, 30, of Chattanooga. Officers found a loaded pistol in between the seats and charged her with possession of a firearm.

The Chattanooga Police Crime Suppression Unit then located the shooter in the Sawyer Street drive-by at 2007 Windsor St. sitting in a vehicle, it was stated.

Police said Harris is believed to be responsible for two other drive-by shootings a few days earlier, including a shooting in the 1000 block of Spears Avenue. As police arrived, residents were coming out in the street from a duplex wondering what had just happened. They told police they heard 3-4 shots. Asked who was on the porch of the duplex, those who had been inside pointed to a group of young adults walking down Spears Avenue. Police caught up with them, and they were told that "Valentino Harris just did a drive-by shooting."

Those in the group said they had been standing around near where the shots were fired, and also there was a vehicle there occupied by an adult, a teen and children ages six and seven.
The vehicle was struck several times.

The witnesses said Harris had a white female named "Christy" drive a baby blue Lincoln Towncar with Titan specialized plates by the duplex and he opened fire from the passenger window.

Police said they were familiar with the vehicle and had seen Harris riding in it with various people.

The witnesses said they all started running when the shooting started.