A Utah man accused of distributing peyote pleaded guilty on Thursday to possession of coca leaves in a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Nicholas Walter Stark, who claims he is one-quarter Iroquois, will face up to one year in prison. Prosecutors dropped the peyote charges.

It is not known if Stark will cooperate in the federal case against James Mooney, a self-describe medicine man and Native American Church leader. Mooney and his wife, Linda, are charged with distributing peyote. Mooney claims Indian ancestry but is not enrolled in a federally recognized tribe.

Get the Story:
Peyote plea deal reached for Utahn (The Deseret Morning News 12/16)
Peyote Defendant Strikes Plea Deal (AP 12/16)

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