Man to plead guilty in Ohio pot-in-suitcase scheme

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man has agreed to plead guilty to a single drug charge as part of his involvement in a scheme to ship hundreds of pounds of marijuana to Ohio in suitcases.

As part of the plea agreement, 40-year-old Frank Edwards is agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The deal filed Thursday in federal court in Columbus says Edwards will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 200 pounds of marijuana.

The Hacienda, Calif., man was one of six California residents arrested last year as part of an alleged scheme to bring marijuana to Ohio in suitcases on private jets.

U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley must still approve the deal.

Edwards' attorney, Steve Nolder, declined to comment.