Old and Ailing Rochester Federal Prisoner May Be Set Free

DETROIT (AP) — Prosecutors have asked a judge to grant the release of a 91-year-old Indiana man who was convicted of taking more than a ton of cocaine to Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel.

Leo Sharp of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to three years in federal prison in May 2014 after admitting he drove loads of cocaine into Michigan. Prosecutors said the World War II veteran was paid more than $1 million.

The Detroit News reports that prosecutors made the request for compassionate release on Monday. The request is sealed, but federal law requires it include "extraordinary and compelling reasons."

Sharp's attorney has previously said he was suffering from health problems, including dementia.

Sharp is currently serving his sentence at  the federal medical facility in Rochester, Minnesota.