Ind. man Leo Sharp, 87, indicted on cocaine charges; not guilty plea entered
(CBS/AP) DETROIT - Leo Sharp is 87, from Michigan City, Ind., and claims that he was forced at gunpoint to transport 200 pounds of cocaine in his pickup truck. On Monday, he stood mute during a court appearance as a judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Last week Sharp was indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit, replacing the criminal complaint originally filed against him.
Federal magistrate Steven Whalen entered the not guilty plea for Sharp, whose pickup was found containing 104 bricks of cocaine when he was pulled over for a traffic stop on Oct. 21.
He was initially stopped for improper lane use on Interstate 94 in Washtenaw County, Mich.
Police say a police dog sniffed out the drug haul.
Sharp is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He says he grows lilies on his 46-acre farm.
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Oct. 26, 2011 - 87-year-old arrested in Mich. with $2.9 million worth of cocaine in pickup