Utah man guilty of flying 242 lbs. of pot to East Coast

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Utah man faces five to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to flying 242 pounds of marijuana from Northern California, which was intercepted at a small western Pennsylvania airport.

Ken Burrows, 54, of Provo, Utah, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute marijuana before a federal judge in Pittsburgh. He’ll return for sentencing Feb. 15.

Federal prosecutors say Burrows was recruited by unspecified others to fly the drugs to the East Coast.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents intercepted the drugs when Burrows landed his Cessna at New Castle Municipal Airport on Dec. 13.

The pot, worth about $1.2 million, was in sealed plastic containers. Burrows claimed to be flying hot-water tanks as cargo.