Pubdate: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR) Copyright: 2000 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Contact: 121 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201 Website: http://www.ardemgaz.com/ Forum: http://www.ardemgaz.com/info/voices.html Author: Dave Hughes, Democrat-Gazette 'LENIENT' STATE SENTENCE PROMPTS FEDERAL CHARGES FOR FLORIDIAN WITH 'POT' FORT SMITH -- A Florida man originally given a suspended sentence after being caught at Van Buren with more than 400 pounds of marijuana has been indicted in U.S. District Court on a federal marijuana possession charge. Jose Ernesto Parra, 27, of Leesburg, Fla., was stopped on Interstate 40 at Van Buren on Jan. 24 by an Arkansas State Police trooper. The trooper later discovered 39 packages of marijuana totaling 457 pounds in a secret compartment under the bed of the pickup Parra was driving. U.S. Attorney P.K. Holmes said Wednesday that Parra was being charged in federal court under duo successive prosecution, which allows the federal government to prosecute someone charged with the same crime in state court under certain circumstances. He said in this case the decision was made to prosecute Parra in federal court because he received a "very lenient state sentence" and because he wouldn't cooperate with authorities. If convicted in federal court, Parra could be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and receive a fine of up to $2 million. Crawford County Circuit Judge Gary Cottrell gave Parra a suspended sentence on July 31 after attorneys in the case, Prosecuting Attorney Mike Medlock and Fort Smith attorney Dan Shue, had reached a plea agreement and told Cottrell that Parra had "some packages of marijuana." Cottrell called back Parra and the lawyers on Aug. 7 after learning from media reports that Parra actually was caught with 457 pounds of marijuana. He resentenced Parra to 10 years in prison with eight years suspended. He also fined Parra $15,000 and ordered the forfeiture of the 1988 Dodge pickup Parra was driving at the time plus $2,300 in cash that was found in the pickup. Parra was imprisoned after his Aug. 7 sentencing. - --- MAP posted-by: John Chase