LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- A man indicted in the US for allegedly smuggling heroin has been elected a senator in Nigeria.

Buruji Kashamu was little known before he returned home in 2003 from Britain despite a U.S. extradition order to become a major financier of President Goodluck Jonathan's party.

A dozen co-conspirators were long ago tried and jailed in the 1998 U.S. court case including Piper Kerman whose memoir about her jail time became the Netflix TV hit "Orange Is The New Black."

Election results posted late Wednesday say Kashamu is a senator-elect in southwest Ogun state. Opponents say ballots were rigged.

Kashamu hung up the phone twice when the AP called for comment on Thursday. Kashamu has said the Chicago court that indicted him really wants his brother, who he said is deceased.

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