Source: SunSentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) April 1, 1997 LOCAL, Pg. 3B VIGILANTE PLANS TO PLEAD GUILTY IN HOPES OF LEAVING COUNTY JAIL by C. RON ALLEN; Staff Writer Samuel Mohammed, the antidrug crusader who burned down a crackhouse and then was jailed for violating probation when he tested positive for marijuana, wants to go free. His attorney, Sam Berry, said Mohammed plans to plead guilty on Wednesday to his probation violation so he can resume his work in the community. In a letter to Judge Roger B. Colton, Mohammed said he is confident he can prove his case, "but why, at the risk of such great loss to my ministry? I really cannot see that I deserve such a loss, especially since I help so many people." In the letter, Mohammed said he is scheduled to participate in a master gardeners training program in his Pleasant City neighborhood that began on March 5, and he would like to be released in time to participate. Mohammed has been in the Palm Beach County Jail since he was picked up on Jan. 30 for violating probation because he failed to take a courtordered drug urine test. The probation violation stems from his 1995 arrest by West Palm Beach police on two counts of arson and burglary after he torched a crackhouse. A jury in August found him guilty of the lesser charges of criminal mischief and trespassing. Colton fined Mohammed $ 255 and sentenced him to probation. As part of his probation, he was to perform 200 hours of community service and undergo routine drug tests. But Mohammed failed to fulfill both provisions of his probation, and he said that drug testing would violate his right to privacy. After his January arrest, Mohammed was brought back into court and submitted to a drug test, which he failed. Traces of THC, the active drug in marijuana, were found in his system, according to court records. The selfproclaimed healer said he might have used fermented marijuana seeds and leaves in holistic medicines he concocted. Berry said he has tried to persuade Mohammed to stick to his principles and fight the probation violation charge, but Mohammed wants to get out of jail. At least three people have written Colton asking him to release Mohammed so he can continue his work in the community. "Mr. Mohammed is not a danger to himself or anyone else, and in fact, is noted for being able to counsel individuals from all walks of life who need a spiritual perspective in their affairs," stated a letter, signed by Andrea Lea, project director of CIELO Gardens. "We feel that this gentle soul deserves better treatment in these enlightened times." Copyright (c) 1997, SunSentinel Company