Pele's son Edinho sentenced to 33 years for money laundering

Edinho

Sao Paulo: A Brazilian court has sentenced football legend Pele's son Edinho to 33 years in prison for laundering money for drug traffickers, media reports said on Saturday.

Edinho

Edson Cholbi Nascimento, nicknamed Edinho, denies the charges in the case, which dates from 2005, and will be allowed to remain free pending appeal, said CBN radio and news site G1.

Pele in tears during a press conference about his son's arrest in 2005. Pic/AFP.

Property seized
The Praia Grande criminal court in Sao Paulo also sentenced three other defendants to 33 years and ordered the confiscation of all property seized in the police operation against them, including about 100 cars. Edinho, 43, is accused of ties with a drug cartel led by Ronaldo ‘Naldinho' Duarte Barsotti.

But though he admits buying drugs from the cartel, he denies working with them. Edinho had a relatively low-key career in the 1990s playing for Santos, the same club where his father shot to fame.