14 DAY TRIAL // World War II veteran Leo Sharp, who acted as a mule for a notorious drug organization, will be sentenced on May 7, his 90th birthday, according to Daily Mail.
The war hero’s problems began in 2011 when he was stopped by Michigan State Police on Interstate 94. He was then carrying 200 pounds (90 kg) of cocaine in his vehicle for a Mexican drugs cartel called Sinaloa.
However, it wasn’t the first time the Michigan City man hauled cocaine across the country. Authorities say that he actually transported more than 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of cocaine worth $3/€2.16 million.
Sharp, who pleaded guilty last fall, was being referred to as the “old man” by his handlers. He is set to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Detroit for transporting the aforementioned amount of drugs on his 90th birthday.
However, his attorney Darryl Goldberg says he should be spared jail because of his dementia and is requesting that his client be sentenced to house arrest instead. Sharp’s lawyer filed an 18-page sentencing memo in preparation for his client’s sentencing date, hoping to convince a judge that home confinement would be more appropriate for the veteran.
“He is a colorful, self-made, charitable man who has worked hard throughout this entire admirable, extraordinary, and long life,” Goldberg wrote in the memo.
“Mr. Sharp made a monumental mistake at a moment of perceived financial weakness, and was exploited and threatened, but his conduct in this case was truly an aberration from a law-abiding life.”
The lawyer also mentioned that, because of his health problems, Sharp would be an expensive burden on the government if sent to prison.
Sharp’s story quickly spread across media in 2011, when he became one of the oldest drug traffickers to appear in federal court. It was revealed that at the time of his arrest, the veteran had been working for the Sinaloa cartel for two years.
After being caught, Sharp admitted it was not the first time he was transporting drugs belonging to Sinaloa cartel. Also, he motivated his acts by saying that he needed money.
He was charged with conspiracy and drug possession with intent to distribute. Under the state’s law, the elderly man should expect a minimum sentence of 14 years in prison, but prosecutors are recommending a five-year prison sentence in his case, a significant reduction because of Sharp’s age, health condition and war service record.
The WWII veteran fought in Italy and was awarded the Bronze Star, the fourth-highest individual military medal given for valor, his lawyer said.