Alleged Georgia cocaine trafficker pulled from ocean after plane crash near Bahamas charged

A man accused of trafficking drugs into Georgia after surviving a plane crash now faces federal charges, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Jonathan Eric Gardiner, a 58-year-old Bahamian national, has been indicted on federal drug importation and conspiracy charges following his arrest and rescue from a plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean. In May, Gardiner and 10 others were traveling on a private plane near the coast of Florida when the plane crashed. Coast Guard rescued all of the passengers, including Gardiner, who was in possession of $30,000 in Bahamian currency. “This indictment alleges Gardiner peddled cocaine into Atlanta and across the region for years,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham. “Our fight against international drug traffickers who spread poison into our communities requires all hands-on deck.” He is accused of coordinating the delivery of massive amounts of cocaine from The Bahamas into the metro Atlanta region and across the United States. Attorney Theodore S.

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