Top Californian lawyer to represent Kiwi on cocaine charges

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A former Ponsonby bar owner facing life in a US prison after being arrested with nearly 6kg of cocaine on a cruise ship has hired one of California's top white-collar criminal lawyers.

Tony Wilkinson, 42, was arrested while trying to flush drugs on board the cruise ship Aurora when it docked in San Francisco. The cocaine was found hidden in a locked suitcase in the cabin he shared with co-accused, girlfriend Kirsty Harris, 25.

Wilkinson, who owned the Ponsonby Rd club Chill Bar in the 1990s, was represented by Mary McNamara when he appeared in court in San Francisco on January 31. He was remanded in custody until his next appearance on May 3.

McNamara helped to defend Victor Conte, whose Balco performance-enhancing drug ring lead to the downfall of top US athletes, including sprint queen Marion Jones.

Harris grew up in the small Bay of Plenty town of Pukehina, attended Te Puke High School, and has been living in Mangawhai, Northland.

A third man, Australian Ahmed Rachid, admitted buying 7kg of cocaine in the Caribbean island of Curacao when he was arrested on the same cruise ship last month.

His arrest led authorities to search the New Zealanders' cabin.

They were arrested on January 25 with more than 5kg of cocaine in their possession by officers from Homeland Security Investigations.

The cocaine would have been worth more than $2 million had it been sold in New Zealand.