Rome drug trial begins today

A Rome man goes on trial this week in U.S District Court for alleged involvement in a drug ring in the Rome area. 45-year-old Mario Armas is said by federal prosecutors to be the ringleader of the operation. Federal authorities say he conspired with two professional rodeo workers and another man to distribute more than a ton of marijuana in the Rome-area between 2003 and 2004. The drug smuggling has been linked to other crimes, such as kidnapping, burglary, and laundering of profits from the drug deals. The trial was delayed from January to give both sides more time to sift through evidence. Testimony begins this morning.