NORWICH – A Norwich man arrested in a drug raid in 2017, violated his probation and was sentenced to another two years in prison after admitting everything, and then telling the judge, "I think it's okay to sell drugs to certain people in the community."

Alan S. Banks II, 51, of Norwich pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and was sentenced to a split sentence of six months in jail along with five years of probation following an investigation into the sale of cocaine last December. The investigation resulted in a no-knock search warrant on Banks' apartment on Silver Street in the City of Norwich.

Banks was kicked off of probation after he refused drug testing and treatment, violated other terms of his probation, and then admitted to everything, but with explanations for why he committed the crimes.

Chenango County Probation Officer Amanda Fisher filed a violation of probation report against Banks after he admitted to temporarily dropping out of treatment, smoking marijuana, drinking beer, and carrying three knives at once into her office – all violations of his probation.

According to Banks, it "wasn't the first time," he had brought knives into her office, and while he was warned that he could have his probation violated for drinking alcohol and smoking illegal substances.