ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- Former middleweight champion Michael
Nunn was sentenced Friday to more than 24 years in prison for
buying two pounds of cocaine from an undercover agent more than a
year ago.
The 40-year-old Nunn was arrested Aug. 6, 2002, at a hotel in
his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, moments after paying an agent $200
for one kilogram of cocaine that had an estimated street value of
$24,000. He pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to
distribute cocaine.
Nunn, a former IBF middleweight and WBA super middleweight
champion, was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison by U.S.
District Judge William Gritzner.
Gritzner agreed to a higher sentencing guideline after
considering Nunn's long history in drug trafficking and the
likelihood he used a firearm during drug deals.
During the three-day sentencing hearing, prosecutors called
witnesses who testified about Nunn's drug activity dating back as
far as 1993. Nunn, who accepted responsibility for buying the drugs
in August 2002, denied his involvement in drug trafficking,
pointing out that several of the witnesses were in prison and could
have their sentences reduced for providing testimony.
Nunn, who was defiant throughout the hearing Friday, accused
government lawyers of lying and scheming to bring him down.
"You guys haven't shown me nothing," Nunn said in his
statement to the judge. "Where are your facts, Mr. Prosecutor?"
Nunn had a 58-4 record with 38 knockouts and earned at least $6
million as one of the world's top boxers in the late 1980s and
early 1990s.
Nunn's attorney, Anthony Schumann, said he would consider
appealing the sentence or asking Gritzner to reconsider.