University of Central Florida student, David Cole, pleaded guilty in Sanford state circuit court to racketeering after a drug bust back in March. The state dropped all but two counts in exchange for a five-year prison term to be followed by five years of prohibition.
Cole, 34, who lives in Chuluota, had been charge with 120 counts, including money laundering, marijuana possession and more than 100 counts of conspiracy. He was one of more than 30 people arrested by Seminole County deputies and other Central Florida law enforcement agencies, who reported that they had seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana, half a kilo of cocaine and $240,000 in cash.
Cole was a UCF student who specialized in high-potency marijuana that had been grown for medical purposes in California. Many of his customers were other UCF students. An informant who was one of Cole’s routine customers wore a hidden microphone that caught Cole bragging that he sold $100,000 worth of marijuana a week.
This is one of the main reasons why marijuana needs to be legal. Cole could be a legitimate business owner and pay legitimate taxes to the state that could help people in return. Now instead he will be facing criminal charges for a plant that is not harmful.
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Tags: David Cole, Marijuana, police, UCF
