Ex-England cricketer going to prison

Former England cricketer Chris Lewis has received a 13-year prison term for his conviction on charges of smuggling $210,000 worth of cocaine into Britain.

Customs officers at Gatwick Airport found cans containing a liquid form of the drug in Lewis’s cricket bag when he returned from a trip to St. Lucia, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

Lewis, 41, testified he was tricked into transporting the drugs by a friend who worried his own luggage might be overweight.

Lewis said he thought he was carrying cans of fruit juice for Chad Kirnon, a professional basketball player.

He also said while he was awaiting trial, Kirnon offered to take the blame in exchange for $150,000.

A jury at Croydon Crown Court spent less than four hours deliberating before returning a verdict of guilty in the case.

Kirnon was also found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in jail.