Leo Sharp

Leonard Sharp (May 7, 1924 – December 12, 2016) was an American World War II veteran and notorious drug courier, or "mule".^[2] He transported drugs, mostly cocaine, across the United States, mostly to and from the southern US border and Detroit, Michigan. He allegedly transported more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine during his years of dealing.^[3]

Leo Sharp
Born	Leo Earl Sharp (1924-05-07)May 7, 1924 Michigan City, Indiana, US
Died	December 12, 2016(2016-12-12) (aged 92) Michigan, US
Resting place	National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Other names	El Tata
Occupation(s)	Florist Drug courier for the Sinaloa Cartel
Conviction(s)	Drug trafficking
Criminal penalty	3 years, federal prison
Capture status	Deceased
Date apprehended	October 21, 2011
Imprisoned at	2014–2015, released after 1 year for humanitarian reasons
Notes
[1]

Notoriety

He widely considered by the Sinaloa cartel and DEA authorities as an urban legend in Detroit until his arrest in 2013. He pleaded not guilty in October 2013 and was sentenced to three years in prison in May 2014.^[4] Sharp was the oldest drug mule in the world. He was released from prison in 2015 due to poor health.

Personal life

Sharp was born in Michigan City, Indiana. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He fought in World War II and received a Bronze Star Medal for his service.^[5]

Sharp had dementia.^[3] He died of the natural causes related to the disease on December 12, 2016 in Michigan at the age of 92.^[6]

The 2018 movie The Mule is based on Sharp's life, with Clint Eastwood playing "Earl Stone" (based on Sharp).^[7][8][9]