HOUSE PAINTER GETS 5 YEARS FOR HELPING ARMY WIFE IN DRUG PLOT

A house painter who helped an Army colonel's wife smuggle
drugs from Colombia has been sentenced to a prison term longer than
the woman received, despite blaming her for orchestrating the widely
publicized plot.

In a New York courtroom Friday, Judge Edward Korman sentenced the
admitted middleman, Hernan Arcila, to five years, three months in
prison. Two weeks ago, Korman gave Laurie Hiett--wife of the former
commander of U.S. anti-drug operations in Colombia --a 5-year sentence.

Hiett shipped $700,000 in cocaine and heroin to Arcila's home. She and
Arcila, 51, were arrested after authorities intercepted two packages
of heroin mailed from a post office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota.

"I want to ask for forgiveness for the mistake I made," said Arcila, a
Colombian had no previous criminal record and had lived in the U.S.
for almost 30 years.

The case has embarrassed Army officials and ruined the military career
of Col. James Hiett, accused of helping his wife launder $25,000 in
illicit profits.