Air Force Academy standout running back Joseph Saucier pleaded guilty Thursday to cocaine use and possessing marijuana, blaming a gridiron injury and academic pressure for his foray into drug use.
Under a plea deal, military prosecutors dropped accusations that Saucier intended to distribute both drugs, a move that saved him a potential penalty of 15 years in prison at a court-martial.
Air Force judge Lt. Col. Sterling Pendelton accepted the deal Thursday morning at the academy but did not immediately sentence the senior cadet. While the sentencing details of the plea deal haven’t been announced, Saucier was expected to ask the judge for leniency.
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