'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.