The pilot and co-pilot of a small airplane who were arrested by federal authorities after landing at a Minnesota airport on Sept. 30 have pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to transport marijuana from Colorado. Besides the pilots, four other men were indicted on federal charges related to the marijuana, which was found stuffed in hockey bags in the cockpit of the Mooney M20 plane the pilots were arrested in.

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security were waiting at the airport after receiving a tip of a plane landing there the night of Sept. 26 and two men acting suspiciously. Around midnight, with the air traffic control tower closed, the airplane landed. The agents approached the plane and detained the pilot and co-pilot. They found 70 pounds of marijuana in bags inside the cockpit. They had allegedly delivered 46 pounds of the drug in the Sept. 26 trip. The pilot allegedly told the agents that he had been approached by a man in Colorado, who offered to pay him cash to deliver marijuana from California to Minnesota.

The resulting investigation netted arrests of four more men from Minnesota and Colorado. Attorneys for both pilots said their clients would cooperate with authorities. The co-pilot's attorney said he was surprised that his client faced federal charges based on a relatively small amount of drugs. He suggested that the use of an airplane may have attracted federal prosecutors' attention.

The men face up to 20 years in prison, but will likely serve less time if they cooperate with the prosecution of the alleged co-conspirators.

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Hockey bags full of pot at Anoka County Airport lead to drug ring," Abby Simons, Dec. 21, 2011