WEBVTT - A Smuggler’s Loyalty - B7

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<v Speaker 1>Murder in Miami is a production of iHeartRadio. This week,

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<v Speaker 1>we'll hear more from the charismatic former marijuana smuggler Bobby

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<v Speaker 1>Platshorn on how and why he and Ron Elliott of

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<v Speaker 1>the Coconut Grove Guys crossed paths at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the Black Tuna era. So the question I had for

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<v Speaker 1>you is, after you and I spoke, Phil mentioned the

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<v Speaker 1>name Ron Elliott, and I did not remember that name

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<v Speaker 1>from your book.

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<v Speaker 2>The Ron you're chasin was really not part of us.

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<v Speaker 2>They threw him in in the end because we tried

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<v Speaker 2>to get him and his partner to do a rescue

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<v Speaker 2>mission after we no longer had airplanes available, But that's

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<v Speaker 2>really all of it. He had nothing to do with us.

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<v Speaker 3>Did you get any read on him when you met

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<v Speaker 3>him in person?

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<v Speaker 2>No. I was told he was an excellent pilot, and

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't really know him. I reached out when that

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<v Speaker 2>plane crashed and Purvis and the other pilots were stuck

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<v Speaker 2>down there.

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<v Speaker 1>Bobby's referencing a crash in Columbia that involved two of

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<v Speaker 1>the Black Tuna Gang pilots. When their plane went down,

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<v Speaker 1>Platschorn was in need of another pilot to attempt a

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<v Speaker 1>rescue mission enter Ron Elliott.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, he had done a number of trips flying two

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<v Speaker 2>I think ASSESSMA for twenty one's doing trips into central Florida.

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<v Speaker 2>And he was using two so that one could be

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<v Speaker 2>a ghost plane and one would be a legitimate check.

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<v Speaker 3>In, so one was like a decoy.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I know, he did a lot of trips. He

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<v Speaker 2>was successful. He was bringing him into I think north

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<v Speaker 2>central Florida.

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<v Speaker 3>And so what did you want him to do for you?

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<v Speaker 2>Go pick up the stranded pilots. I probably offered him

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<v Speaker 2>a couple of hundred brand or something to go pick

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<v Speaker 2>them up, get them out of there, and needed somebody

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<v Speaker 2>who was willing to go down right away. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>we had to get them out of there. They were

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<v Speaker 2>hiding in the jungle. If the Columbian Army or police

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<v Speaker 2>could find them, then it would be a serious jail

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<v Speaker 2>term for them or a serious expense bailing them out.

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<v Speaker 1>So originally he agreed to do it. But in addition

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<v Speaker 1>to the money, he wanted coke.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I don't remember if it may have been ten.

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<v Speaker 3>Keys, which would have been a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, and that's not a huge shipment, but it

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<v Speaker 2>would have put a lot of money in his pocket.

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<v Speaker 2>But I had no intention of getting involved in the

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<v Speaker 2>coke business. So I made a point of getting a

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<v Speaker 2>hold of my connection in Columbia or Raoul and tell them,

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<v Speaker 2>under no circumstances was any cocaine to go on the plane,

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<v Speaker 2>because at that point it felt like a setup.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>And so did he rescue the pilots?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, he did, but he didn't get the coke.

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<v Speaker 3>How did he react to that?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't recall tell you the truth, but I know

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<v Speaker 2>when Fervis got out of the plane, the DEA was

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<v Speaker 2>there waiting for him, and he was waiting to help

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<v Speaker 2>the DEA.

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<v Speaker 1>So you went to all that effort to save him, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and then he turned on you exactly. Thank god you

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<v Speaker 1>didn't put any coke on that plane because if the

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<v Speaker 1>DA was waiting for it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, it was originally a coke charge in the indictment,

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<v Speaker 2>but they.

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<v Speaker 3>Pulled it out, so it was a setup.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, it was a setup. I don't know if ron

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<v Speaker 2>Elliott knew it was a setup, but George Fervis certainly knew.

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<v Speaker 3>How did the DA even know to be there?

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<v Speaker 2>They were set up with George. George had been busted

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<v Speaker 2>bringing the shipment into North Carolina. When he got out

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<v Speaker 2>on bail, he needed a place to live and stay

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<v Speaker 2>till his trial, and I let him work at our

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<v Speaker 2>used car lot, which was part of our auction complex,

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<v Speaker 2>so he was around all the time. Then he did

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<v Speaker 2>this airplane trip to Columbia. Plane crashed and we had

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<v Speaker 2>to get them out of there, him and two pilots,

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<v Speaker 2>and we got them out. I felt that was my responsibility,

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<v Speaker 2>even though that wasn't my trip.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, how did you feel when you found out that

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<v Speaker 1>the DA was waiting and that he turned.

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<v Speaker 2>I was pretty well sure of it before he was back.

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<v Speaker 2>Just all the arrangements for the rescue just had a

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<v Speaker 2>bad feel, and I was pretty sure that.

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<v Speaker 3>They'd be waiting, and you did the right thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I was worried about it, but one thing at a time,

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<v Speaker 2>get them out of Columbia first.

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