The Tribune

BAHAMIAN boat captain Malcolm Goodman, whose arrest with $4m worth of cocaine aboard a vessel co-owned by former National Security Minister Marvin Dames sparked controversy earlier this year, has been sentenced to six years in a Florida prison, significantly less than the term sought by US prosecutors.

US District Judge Melissa Damian imposed the sentence on Wednesday after Goodman, 31, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The sentence was below the nine-to-11-year range recommended by both prosecutors and the defence under federal sentencing guidelines. The offence ordinarily carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment, but Goodman's plea agreement sought relief under a provision allowing qualifying offenders to receive a lesser sentence.

His conviction follows months of court proceedings and public controversy over his business relationship with Mr Dames, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police who served as national security minister under the Minnis administration.

Goodman was arrested on February 11 after US Coast Guard officers intercepted the 45-foot M/V Reel Xperience about four miles off Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He was alone aboard the vessel, which had travelled from New Providence, and told officers he had been at sea for about seven hours.

According to a sworn affidavit filed by US Department of Homeland Security taskforce officer Jose Alvarez, officers conducting a customs search discovered brick-shaped packages containing cocaine in the vessel's common area and a stateroom.

The packages, weighing approximately 200 kilograms, were wrapped in cellophane and were visible without an extensive search. Officers also discovered approximately 248 bottles of cough syrup in a plastic storage bin.

Authorities said Goodman spontaneously admitted responsibility for the drugs before being advised of his rights. He subsequently declined to answer questions without an attorney present.

Goodman initially pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and importation of a controlled substance.

However, after several months of negotiations, he reached an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty on July 15. The agreement required prosecutors to dismiss the importation charge.

It also required Goodman to cooperate with authorities, disclose information about the offence, and assist in proceedings to forfeit assets accumulated through illegal activity.

Ahead of sentencing, defence attorney Jay Allen White urged Judge Damian to impose a sentence substantially below the recommended range, arguing that Goodman had acted out of financial desperation rather than criminal ambition.

In court filings, Mr White said his client had accumulated debts while trying to support his young son and grandmother.

He argued that the circumstances of the operation suggested Goodman was not an experienced drug trafficker, pointing to the cocaine being left in plain view and Goodman's failure to conceal the vessel's movements or evade authorities.

The attorney also said Goodman had received no advance payment for transporting the drugs and had relied on a promise of payment after delivery.

Mr White submitted 16 character references from relatives, friends, religious leaders and former colleagues, who described Goodman as a hardworking father and experienced maritime professional with no previous criminal history.

His business connection to Mr Dames became a central issue after the arrest.

In a September sentencing submission, Mr White said Goodman invested $20,000 of his savings in 2023 to acquire a 30 percent interest in Reel Xperience Boat Charters LLC, a company co-owned by Mr Dames.

That account differed from Mr Dames' earlier description of Goodman as primarily an employee whom he and his wife had helped establish himself professionally.

Mr Dames previously said the business arrangement began in 2024 and maintained that neither he nor his wife knew about, participated in or benefited from the criminal activity.

He also said they had not authorised or sanctioned any unlawful conduct and would cooperate with any lawful investigation.

In April, Mr Dames said he had not been questioned in connection with the case and compared the circumstances to allowing an employee to use a vehicle without knowing that illegal items were being transported.

He and his wife were also seeking to recover the vessel, which they were still repaying a significant loan on.

US prosecutors later advised the court that they were no longer pursuing permanent forfeiture of the vessel.

Goodman's case had attracted political attention because Mr Dames was the Free National Movement's Mount Moriah candidate when the arrest occurred.

Mr Dames has consistently denied involvement in the trafficking operation, and no charge against him has been established in the reporting reviewed.