2 EX-AIR MARSHALS SENT TO PRISON FOR COCAINE SMUGGLING

Houston Men Pleaded Guilty To Bribery, Conspiring To Sell The Drugs

Two former federal air marshals from Houston are headed to prison for
conspiring to bypass airport security and smuggle about 33 pounds of cocaine.

Burlie L. Sholar III and Shawn Ray Nguyen, who accepted a plea
agreement with prosecutors in April, were sentenced Monday by U.S.
District Judge Kenneth Hoyt. Nguyen, 32, must serve seven years and
three months in prison, and Sholar, 38, got nine years.

They also will be under five years' supervised release after their
release, Hoyt ordered. Nguyen received a shorter sentence because of
his cooperation with investigators, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

Nguyen and Sholar pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiring to
possess, with intent to distribute, cocaine.

The men admitted talking with an FBI informant about plans to smuggle
15 kilograms of cocaine past security at Bush Intercontinental
Airport and onto a flight bound for Las Vegas. They said they
expected to be paid $5,000 per kilogram.

Prosecutors said the pair had planned to use their positions as air
marshals to get past security.

Sholar made flight and hotel arrangements and agreed to meet Nguyen
at his house before the smuggling attempt, according to the plea
agreements. The informant, who recorded conversations with Nguyen,
delivered the cocaine and $15,000 in marked bills to his house Feb.
9, prosecutors said. Nguyen and Sholar were arrested afterward.

A third former air marshal, Patrick H. Hightower II, is to be
sentenced Sept. 8 for an unrelated crime that was discovered after
Sholar's arrest. Hightower pleaded guilty in June to theft of
government money and faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Sholar and Hightower traveled together and cooperated in altering
travel vouchers, authorities said.

Hightower admitted sharing a hotel room and forging expense reports
more than 20 times to indicate that two rooms were rented.