[karajorma]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/paul-frampton-court-argentina-convicts-unc-professor-drug/story?id=17799280

A court in Argentina has convicted an Oxford educated University of North Carolina professor of attempting to smuggle four pounds of cocaine into the United States.

Paul Frampton, a 68-year-old esteemed professor of physics and astronomy, says he thought he was flying to South America to meet with a bikini model but ended up getting caught in what they call a "honey trap."

Frampton flew to Bolivia from North Carolina earlier this year after communicating with someone who claimed to be Denise Milani, winner of Miss Bikini World 2007. She never showed up.

Instead, Frampton says he was met by a man who gave him a suitcase, identifying himself as an intermediary for Milani, and instructing him to take it to her in Argentina.

 Once there, he says he could not find her and decided to board a plane home, with that suitcase in hand. Police opened it up at the airport and found more than four pounds of cocaine inside.

"He has a high IQ, is well-known and very distinguished in the field of physics and other scientific areas, but when it comes to common sense he scored a zero," said former DC homicide investigator Rod Wheeler.

The Argentinean court sentenced Frampton to serve four years and eight months in custody after prosecutors there presented evidence of text messages they say Frampton sent to the person he thought was the model, saying, "I'm worried about the sniffer dogs," and "I'm looking after your special little suitcase."

 The University of North Carolina has cut off Frampton's salary in a move that prompted dozens of his colleagues at the university to sign a letter of protest to administrators.

"As more information about his case becomes available ... it becomes more and more obvious that Paul was the innocent, although very gullible, victim of a scam," the joint letter said.

Many wrote separate letters of reference on a website they created to support the embattled professor, who is hoping to serve his time under house arrest in Argentina at a friend's apartment.

From prison Frampton has said, "It does seem unfair that an innocent scam victim is treated as a professional drug smuggler."

Frampton's Argentinean lawyer told ABC News she would have no comment until having a chance to review the judge's complete ruling, which she expects to be released early next week.

However, it appears this is not the first time Frampton has been in hot water over a woman.

The Telegraph, a London based paper that serves Great Britain , reported that friends say he once met another woman online and flew to China to marry her. This time, the woman was real, but after seeing Frampton, she reportedly canceled the wedding.

Unlucky in love, unlucky in drug smuggling.

What I find hilarious though is the fact that there are drug smuggling gangs who will give their mule four pounds of cocaine and then forget to actually meet the guy so they can get it back off him.

[An4ximandros]

Perfect for a movie, seriously. Poor sod.

[Mongoose]

He may not have known what he was doing, but I can't help but think the sentence fits just for the sheer stupidity of it all.

[Nuke]

my kinda thread

*reads*

meh, i thought these were real, but after a couple lines its alright. lets apply some specific impulse.

[SypheDMar]

  They needa let this guy go and tell this story to their kids.

[Klaustrophobia]

text messages they say Frampton sent to the person he thought was the model, saying, "I'm worried about the sniffer dogs," and "I'm looking after your special little suitcase."

that sounds like he knew what was in the suitcase to me.

[Solatar]

Smart professors make acid, not traffic cocaine.

[karajorma]

that sounds like he knew what was in the suitcase to me.

Indeed, it sounds to me like he was willing to be a drug mule if it meant he got to have sex with Denise Milani.

You can't plead innocence on the grounds of "But I didn't actually get to have sex with Denise Milani" or the jails would be empty.

[el_magnifico]

It's not because I'm Argentinean, but this man's story sounds more than a bit suspicious. Specially this part:

"The Argentinean court sentenced Frampton to serve four years and eight months in custody after prosecutors there presented evidence of text messages they say Frampton sent to the person he thought was the model, saying, "I'm worried about the sniffer dogs," and "I'm looking after your special little suitcase." "

Besides, he just seems to be too intelligent to be SO gullible.
Good reaction from the University, though.

*Looks up Denise Milani on Google*

Holy...!!!

EDIT: Bah! They beat me to it.

[watsisname]

*Looks up Denise Milani on Google*

Holy...!!!

Looked her up on google images and my computer screen just went BOIIIIIIIIING and I was like DAAAAAAAAYUM!

ahem.

So this guy's got like a **** ton of papers, some of 'em are great reads. 

Mmmmmm, bimaximal neutrino mixing.  Ohhh, you sexy thing. =]

[TwentyPercentCooler]

It's not because I'm Argentinean, but this man's story sounds more than a bit suspicious. Specially this part:

"The Argentinean court sentenced Frampton to serve four years and eight months in custody after prosecutors there presented evidence of text messages they say Frampton sent to the person he thought was the model, saying, "I'm worried about the sniffer dogs," and "I'm looking after your special little suitcase." "

Besides, he just seems to be too intelligent to be SO gullible.
Good reaction from the University, though.

*Looks up Denise Milani on Google*

Holy...!!!

EDIT: Bah! They beat me to it.

Actually, geniuses can sometimes be REALLY stupid when it comes to things that aren't in their field of expertise.

But yeah, in this case it sounds like he knew what was in the suitcase, or at least knew that it was something he shouldn't have been trying to fly with.

[MP-Ryan]

This is me having zero sympathy for this idiot.  Number 1 rule of airports is don't carry luggage you didn't pack yourself and supervise the entire time.  Number 2 is if you know you have drugs because some asshole gave them to you, drop them where you are or turn them into the authorities immediately.

And I'm sorry, a 68-year old physics prof should know better than to believe this **** in the first place.  Idiot.

[karajorma]

I know, I really hate it when stupid 20-somethings get caught smuggling drugs in the far east and then complain about it. But at least there is the faint possibility that a 18 or 19-year old is too naive to know it was dumb.

Bit hard to make that excuse at 68.

[Klaustrophobia]

well, he IS a UNC professor...

also, having seen the girl.... would not hit that.

[Mikes]

:looks at pictures on google:

Am I the only one who s getting a case of real life "uncanny valley"... when boobs are just at that size where they are... uhm... a bit... too large? LOL.

[NGTM-1R]

:looks at pictures on google:

Am I the only one who s getting a case of real life "uncanny valley"... when boobs are just at that size where they are... uhm... a bit... too large? LOL.

Probably, considering Uncanny Valley reactions can be directly traced to motion.

[yuezhi]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183861/Denise-Milani-Bikini-model-terrified-drugs-gang-used-honeytrap-science-professor.html

who would've guessed she's married?

[karajorma]

The comments on the hacking put an interesting spin on things. It's quite possible someone sent him a message from the actual Ms Milani's facebook or email address redirecting him to another account "she" uses privately.

He's still a fool for agreeing to carry the drugs but at least that would explain how he might have not rumbled that he wasn't talking to the real person. I mean, if you meet someone on a dating site claiming to be her, you'd probably be all "yeah, yeah" but if you then got a confirmation message from her official site on facebook.....

[Colonol Dekker]

I say, unwittingly or not.

The crime was commited, do the time.

[yuezhi]

and there were emails from an obsessive fan