Pele's son to serve drug-related prison sentence, lawyer says

Pele's son to serve drug-related prison sentence, lawyer says

Brazilian soccer legend Pele poses for picture after receiving an Olympic necklace from President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach at the Pele Museum in Santos, Brazil June 16, 2016. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The son of soccer great Pele has pledged to turn himself over to police after a court ruled he must serve almost 13 years of a 33-year drug-trafficking sentence, his lawyer told Reuters on Friday.

"He is going to turn himself in as soon as the decision is in the system," Eugenio Malavasi, lawyer for Edinho, said.

A former goalkeeper for Pele's club Santos, Edinho was found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering in 2005 but has been fighting the charges ever since.

A judge heard his appeal against the original 33-year sentence on Thursday and reduced it to 12 years and 10 months.

His lawyer maintained that Edinho, whose full name is Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, was innocent and would continue to fight the charges.

Pele, 76, is considered the greatest player of all time and helped Brazil to win three World Cup titles.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-25