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God Lucky Howard To Seek Bail Reduction In His Drug Case

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By MIKE WELLS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

God Lucky Howard

TAMPA - God is scheduled to make an appearance on Thursday.

Not as a burning bush. Not as a great light emanating from behind the clouds. Certainly not as late comedian George Burns.

God Lucky Howard, 39, described in jail records as a mortgage broker, is set to appear Thursday in a Hillsborough County courtroom to seek a reduced bail amount on cocaine charges.

Howard is in Orient Road Jail, and his bail is set at $86,500, according to jail records.

Tampa police arrested him Saturday on charges of delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, a school and public housing; one count each of delivery of cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a church, a school and public housing; and two counts of possession of cocaine.

Howard's attorney, Alex Stavrou, said God is his client's given name.

"But I've always known him as Lucky," he said.

Saturday's arrest stemmed from two previous incidents, according to an arrest affidavit.

On April 28, police bought 3.4 grams of cocaine from him out of a home at 3812 N. Avon Ave., according to the report. A month later, police served a search warrant on that address and found a safe in a bedroom closet containing three plastic bags with 22.5 grams of cocaine, according to the report. Police also found a digital scale with cocaine residue.

Stavrou said he thinks the charges against his client are excessive. He also questioned the timing and validity of the search warrant, which he called "stale" because it was served nearly a month after the drug buy police say they made.

This is not Howard's first arrest.

Four years ago, he was released from state prison, where he served 18 months on a 2003 cocaine charge. He pleaded guilty to a similar charge in 1995.

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