MAN WHO HELPED ARMY WIFE SMUGGLE DRUGS GETS 5 YEARS

Middleman Draws Longer Sentence Than Colonel's Spouse

NEW YORK - A house painter who helped an Army colonel's wife smuggle
drugs from Colombia was sentenced yesterday to a longer prison term
than she was - despite blaming her for orchestrating the widely
publicized plot.

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 five-year sentence.

Both defendants had faced up to nine years in prison after pleading
guilty to conspiracy charges.

Authorities accused Hiett of shipping $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.

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.

Arcila's attorney, Telesforo Del Valle, had argued that his client was
recruited by - and took orders from - Laurie Hiett and his friend
Jorge Ayala, a civilian driver for U.S. military commanders in Colombia.

Ayala was arrested earlier this year in Colombia, where he is fighting
extradition.

A native of Colombia who has lived in the United States for almost 30
years, Arcila had "a minor role compared to that of Laurie Hiett," the
lawyer told Korman.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Dunst argued Arcila was a key participant:
"Without him, it wouldn't have been successful."