A Connecticut man was found not guilty yesterday of enlisting a minor to help him sell drugs. Nixon Louis, 40, faced drug charges after he was accused of soliciting a 16-year-old girl to sell cocaine at a bowling alley earlier this summer.

Louis waived his right to a jury trial. Although he was cleared of the greater charge, Superior Court Justice John Nivison convicted Louis of the lesser charge of drug trafficking, finding he was an accomplice in a drug deal involving the girl and her friends.

Louis was arrested in an undercover sting earlier this summer. The girl planned to meet an undercover police officer and a police informant at a bowling alley with the purpose of making a drug exchange. Louis drove the girl to the bowling alley parking lot and waited in the car for the girl to return. Louis was arrested shortly thereafter.

The 16-year-old testified against Louis in court.

The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence that Louis solicited the girl to traffic drugs for him. Therefore, the judge found him not guilty of the Class A charge of enlisting a minor for use in drug trafficking. However, the judge asserted that his presence that night indicated he knew what was occurring and was not merely a friend providing the girl with a ride. As such, the judge determined Louis was an accomplice and found him guilty of drug trafficking, a Class B felony.

The maximum sentence for the charge of drug trafficking is ten years; there is no minimum sentence. 

An attorney for Louis believes the drug charges against Louis were a result of racial discrimination. Louis might appeal the decision. 

Source: Morning Sentinel "Connecticut man beats rap in teen drug case" 8/27/10