VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) Former boxing champion Pernell "Sweetpea" Whitaker was given a four-year suspended sentence Monday for violating probation on a cocaine possession charge.

The 38-year-old Whitaker could have received up to 10 years in prison, but his suspended sentence fell within state guidelines for his first conviction.

The 1984 Olympic lightweight gold medalist pleaded guilty in January to cocaine possession after he was caught with a small amount of the drug when he was being taken to jail on two traffic convictions. He was given first-offender status, under which the drug charge would have been dropped if he stayed out of trouble for one year.

But two months later, Whitaker was hospitalized after almost overdosing on cocaine, after which he was forced to take a drug test and write a letter admitting he used cocaine.

Whitaker pleaded guilty in June to violating his probation.

According to Whitaker's lawyer, I. Lionel Hancock III, the former boxer has been in a drug rehabilitation program since March.

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