Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Rap Album Seller Faces Drug Charge

A Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., record store owner who fought a First-Amendment battle for the right to sell rap music albums judged obscene has been indicted on cocaine conspiracy charges, the FBI said. Charles Freeman, 33, was charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the Tallahassee, Fla., area. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was convicted last October for selling 2 Live Crew’s controversial rap album “As Nasty As They Wanna Be,” which a federal judge had declared obscene. Freeman was fined $1,000 on the obscenity charge. An appeal, filed with assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union, is pending.