AMISH MEN PLEAD GUILTY IN DRUG CASE

Charges shook Pennsylvania community

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Two Amish men pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to
sell cocaine to fellow members in a case that threw a spotlight on how
modern-day problems are encroaching on the sect's simple way of life.

Abner King Stoltzfus, 23, and Abner Stoltzfus, 24, could get five to 40
years in prison and up to $2 million fines. No sentencing date was set. The
men are not related; Stoltzfus is a common name among the Amish.

Prosecutors said that from 1992 to 1997, the two men bought cocaine from a
Philadelphia-area motorcycle gang called the Pagans, then sold the drugs to
Amish youth. Eight members of the Pagans also have been charged.

The accusations shook Lancaster County's 22,000 conservative Old Order
Amish, who isolate themselves from the outside world and shun modern
conveniences. They ride in horse-drawn buggies and dress in plain, black
clothes.

Some Amish acknowledged that the sect has had to grapple with alcohol and
marijuana problems for a decade. But word of Amish young people using hard
drugs prompted the community's bishops to send a letter to all the
churches, warning about cocaine.

At the time of their indictment, the two Stoltzfuses were participating in
a ``timeout,'' a period during which young Amish men and women are allowed
to explore the outside world and decide whether to join the church. Both
men intended to join, their lawyers said.

1997 - 1998 Mercury Center.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski