Nathaniel Newton, Jr.

Newton pleaded guilty in April 2002 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, arising from two separate traffic stops within five weeks of each other. On November 4, 2001, police stopped Newton and two companions on Interstate 10 in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, and discovered 213 pounds of marijuana in his white van; he and the others were charged with possession with intent to distribute and released on $100,000 bond each. While out on bail, Newton was arrested again on December 12, 2001, in Texas, when authorities found $10,000 cash in his red pickup truck and 175 pounds of marijuana — with an estimated street value of $700,000 — in the trunk of an accompanying vehicle. In total the two stops yielded nearly 390 pounds of marijuana. Newton later admitted the conduct openly, telling interviewers: "I've always been competitive, I've always been in sports. I couldn't see myself not being the biggest dope man" — and that he made up to $75,000 per deal. Under the plea agreement, additional charges of aiding and abetting distribution were dropped.