Man Who Helped Cocaine Dealer Escape Gets 12 Years : Narcotics: He received 50.6 pounds of drugs for his role in a Colombian trafficker’s flight from L.A. jail.

A man who received 50.6 pounds of cocaine for helping a Colombian drug trafficker escape from jail was sentenced Monday to more than 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for drug convictions.

Carl Croom, 32, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to two narcotics charges, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson.

In secretly taped conversations, Croom admitted receiving the cocaine in exchange for helping to arrange the 1987 escape of William Londono from the Men’s Central Jail downtown, prosecutors said.

Londono is considered a significant cocaine dealer who apparently has fled to Colombia, Assistant U.S. Atty. Thomas Bienert said.

Authorities also have described Londono as a high-level “cog” in a Los Angeles-based money-laundering ring. It took deputies six days to realize Londono had escaped from the huge jail.

Croom allegedly admitted his involvement in the escape to an inmate in several conversations in 1988 and 1989. The inmate was cooperating with authorities and secretly taped the conversations while pretending to enlist Croom’s aid in arranging another escape, Bienert said.

Croom was never directly charged with involvement in Londono’s escape, but prosecutors attempted to introduce his taped admissions in court Monday in an effort to obtain a prison term as long as 15 years on the narcotics conviction. Prosecutors ultimately agreed to the lesser term.

Before his escape, Londono was awaiting trial in connection with a case involving 25 pounds of cocaine.

Londono’s brother, Jose, was charged along with Croom in the 50.6-pound cocaine case and pleaded guilty to two narcotics charges. He and Croom were arrested Sept. 8, 1989.

Sentencing of Jose Londono was postponed until Oct. 15.