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Canadian Sentenced After Plane Landing In Ohio With Drugs

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A Canadian passenger on a plane forced to make an emergency landing in Ohio with 290 pounds (132 kilograms) of cocaine onboard has been sentenced to just over five years in federal prison.

The Columbus Dispatch reports 46-year-old David Ayotte was sentenced to 63 months Thursday in Columbus after pleading guilty to a drug charge in June.

Ayotte was aboard a twin-engine plane that landed at Ohio University’s airport in March after an engine began smoking. The plane was met by local and federal authorities. The Windsor, Ontario-bound plane had been tracked by U.S. authorities after leaving the Bahamas.

Ayotte apologized in court through a French interpreter. His defense attorney said the criminal case has caused hardship for Ayotte’s family

The plane’s Canadian pilot, 48-year-old Sylvain Desjardins, awaits sentencing.