MOSCOW, September 1 - RAPSI. Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenkos defense has argued before the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York that his sentence should not exceed 10 years. Yaroshenko was convicted of conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States .

Copies of court documents were made available to the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI).

In his argument, Yaroshenkos attorney argued that his client had no criminal record, unlike other defendants in the case, prior to his arrest in May 2010.

The United States Attorneys Office earlier sought a 30-year to life prison sentence for Yaroshenko. The main defendant in the case - Nigerian Chigbo Peter Umeh - was sentenced to 30 years in prison on July 28.

Yaroshenko was arrested along with Chigbo Peter Umeh in Liberia in May 2010. Soon after his arrest, Yaroshenko was extradited to the United States. However, the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of New York did not announce his arrest until June 2, 2010.

Two other defendants in the case, Nathaniel French and Kudufia Mawuko, both Ghanaians, were acquitted by the jury.

A jury convicted Yaroshenko in April, although Yaroshenko denied all charges against him.

Yaroshenko is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7.