Dominican man pleads innocent to federal drug charges

AUGUSTA - A Dominican man accused of taking part in a drug smuggling ring that operated in Richmond and Columbia counties pleaded innocent Tuesday. <br> <br> Francis Moulan, 31, appeared before U.S. Magistrate W. Leon Barfield during an initial appearance and arraignment hearing on cocaine and money laundering conspiracy charges. Barfield set a hearing for next Tuesday to address bond. <br> <br> Moulan has been wanted since March 1999, when police seized a 2,722-pound shipment of cocaine in the British Virgin Islands. He was arrested earlier this month in Jamaica and extradited Friday to the United States. <br> <br> Six others are named in a federal indictment linking them to an international organization that allegedly involved millions of dollars, tons of cocaine and murder.