Panama moves Houston pilots to prison

[Judi Lynn]

Panama moves Houston pilots to prison
But both say they knew nothing about drug cash
By DANE SCHILLER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
May 27, 2011, 9:56AM

Two Houston-area pilots accused of smuggling $2.3 million in drug money were moved to a Panamanian penitentiary where they could be behind bars for months as authorities decide whether they should be tried for money laundering.

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Pilots Kenneth Chonoski and Carl Moody were accused of money laundering May 7 after flying three passengers and their baggage on a private Learjet chartered to travel from Honduras to Panama.

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Panamanian authorities supposedly were tipped in advance that the plane was carrying drug money, said prosecutor Ida Mirones.

She added that someone aboard the craft allegedly tried to evade customs inspectors by falsely claiming that the bags containing the money belonged to the U.S. Embassy and were exempt from searches.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7583453.html