Palos Verdes Lawyer Gets 24 Years for Role in Drug-Smuggling Ring
A federal judge sentenced a Southern California lawyer Friday to 24 years in prison for his role in what prosecutors have called one of the country’s largest drug-smuggling rings.
U.S. District Judge Richard Conaboy also ordered John Fulton Robertson III of Palos Verdes to pay a $50,000 fine. Conaboy, who said Robertson was lured into the drug-smuggling operation by the chance to become an “instant multimillionaire,” on Thursday had sentenced two other defendants to prison in the case.
Under a plea agreement, Robertson pleaded guilty to four counts of importing, transporting and possessing cocaine. He could have been sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison and fines totaling $1,625,000.
The ring used decoy planes and modified aircraft to smuggle at least 7 1/2 tons of cocaine into the United States since 1980, netting at least $25 million in profits, federal prosecutors said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
