Tulsan sentenced to 35 years in prison

Friday, February 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tulsa-AP) -- A Tulsa man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison on a federal drug kingpin statute. A prosecutor described 40-year-old Robert Eskridge as the muscle behind an organization that trafficked in heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

Assistant U-S Attorney Allen Litchfield alleged that every needle of heroin seen in the Northern District of Oklahoma over the past 10 years has been traceable back to Eskridge's group. U-S Chief District Judge Terry Kern sentenced Eskridge yesterday and also ordered him to pay a five-thousand dollar fine and 200 dollars in court costs. He also was ordered to forfeit almost one-point-five million dollars in cash, assets or property.

Eight other men have either been convicted or pleaded guilty to various roles in the drug enterprise. Sentences have ranged from three-and-a-half to 18 years in prison.