Plea deal: New Orleans man to serve 30 years in prison for role in 5 killings, including cop
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A plea deal calls for a New Orleans man to be sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in five killings in 2007, including the shooting of an off-duty police officer.
Steven Earl Hardrick is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to five of the 17 counts he faced in a March indictment. A court filing Wednesday discloses the terms of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
Some of the victims' family members have told prosecutors they believe the sentence is too lenient.
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But prosecutors say the case against Hardrick was weakened by false confessions, newly discovered evidence and a lack of eyewitnesses and forensic facts.
Hardrick can withdraw his guilty plea if U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance sentences him to more than 30 years.