Taney County Prosecuting Attorney, Jeffrey M. Merrell announced today that FRANK COITO, dob: 07/02/1986 of Branson, Missouri entered a plea of guilty without a plea agreement on Thursday to the class C felony of possession of a controlled substance in front of Taney County Circuit Judge Mark Orr. FRANK COITO was set to begin a jury trial Monday morning.

On August 4, 2008, members of the COMET drug task force were alerted by UPS that a package was to be delivered to the defendant, FRANK COITO in Branson and that the package contained contraband. The COMET drug task force intercepted and inspected the package. Inside the package they discovered sixty blue pills of Oxycontin, a controlled substance hidden inside a jar of peanut butter. The package was resealed and a COMET drug task force officer completed a controlled delivery of the package to FRANK COITO. During the arrest and subsequent search of FRANK COITO”s residenc,e COMET drug task force officers discovered numerous items of drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

Formal sentencing is set for October 21, 2010.  As there was no plea agreement FRANK COITO faces the entire range of punishment.  The class C felony of possession of controlled substance has a range of punishment of one (1) day to one (1) year in the Taney County Jail, or one (1) year to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars (5,000).