A man charged with dealing heroin and laundering money in Fairbanks has pleaded not guilty.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports (http://bit.ly/1vy0tYK ) Peter Maurin Thornton entered the plea Friday during his arraignment.
A federal grand jury in June charged the 58-year-old Thornton with two felony counts related to drug dealing and seven felony counts of laundering cash between states. Thornton was arrested in Washington state in July.
According to the indictment, Thornton and others conspired to possess a kilogram of heroin in Alaska.
Thornton allegedly made a financial transaction with drug money, and then laundered money through six bank deposits in Alaska totaling $11,870.
Prosecutors say the alleged drug dealing occurred in or around Fairbanks.
Thornton’s trial is set for October. Thornton’s attorney declined to comment.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)