Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Drug Rap, Gets 12 Years; Murder Charges Dropped

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBMRJQ7EBE.html

Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges, Gets 12 Years as Murder Charges Are Dropped

FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) - A military judge sentenced an Army sergeant Wednesday to 12 years in prison on drug charges but allowed prosecutors to drop murder charges for the shootings of two fellow Fort Riley soldiers.

Sgt. Eric Colvin, 24, of Papillon, Neb., pleaded guilty to three drug charges under an agreement with prosecutors. Last month, Colvin's testimony led to the conviction of another soldier on two counts of premeditated murder.

Sgt. Aaron Stanley, 23, is serving life in prison with no chance of parole for the September 2004 killings at his farmhouse about 30 miles west of Fort Riley. Prosecutors said Stanley shot the two soldiers to conceal an illegal drug trafficking operation.

Military Judge Col. Theodore Dixon accepted the agreement between Colvin and prosecutors, which didn't become public until Wednesday's court-martial. Prosecutors dropped two counts of premeditated murder and a conspiracy count.

[RC]

1. Drugs bad, killing good.

they were just canon fodder anyway.

[Kelvin Mace]

2. Plea bargain

He cut a deal first, and the other guys took the fall.