Convicted Drug Dealer Apologizes to Buckhalter

Styles Beckles, a drug dealer who was on trial last week in Philadelphia, has apologized in writing to former Eagles and current Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter for a written statement claiming that Buckhalter routinely bought high-end marijuana from Beckles. The apology, released by Beckles’ counsel and forwarded to PFT, states a follows: “I want to apologize to Correll Buckhalter and [former Temple football player] Keita Crespina for any personal or professional embarrassment I may have caused them. I [was] coerced and manipulated into making a statement implicating these two gentlemen as purchasers of marijuana. The State Police wiretapped my phone, listened to every phone conversation I [had] in [D]ecember 2005 and January 2006 and twisted those conversations out of context to convince a judge I was a drug dealer. Nothing could be furthe [sic] from the truth. “I never sold marijuana to Correll Buckhakter. The police listened to one conversation I had with Correll and decided it was about marijuana. Its [sic] not the truth. I have never sold, talked about selling or given marijuana or anything else illegal to Correll Buckhalter. “I went to Temple University with Keita Crespina. Again, the police listened to a lot of private phone converstaions [sic] I had with Keita, twisted the conversations into something tehy [sic] were not and used erroneous conclusions about those conversations to convince a judge I was a marijuana dealer. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have [not] sold or given anything illegal to Keita. “I hope Correll and Keita will accpet [sic] my apology. You do not deserve this. My life has been a real life version of ‘Enemy of the State’ since my arrest on February 1, 2006. And my life has been a real life version of ‘Training Day’ since I was rearrested on April 24, 2008.” Whether anyone believes Beckles remains to be seen. A jury heard his version of the events last week, and opted not to find that reasonable doubt existed as to whether Beckles was a drug dealer. And so the jury convicted him on two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Thus, it’s also reasonable, in our opinion, to doubt Beckles’ denial that he sold drugs to Buckhalter -- and likewise to doubt Buckhalter’s denial that he purchased pot from Beckles. UPDATE: As our own Taco Bill points out, the evidence against Beckles also includes a ledger entry indicating that Buckhalter was one of Beckles’ customers.