Prosecutors have asked for a one day delay for Bahamian drug trafficker Jonathan Eric Gardiner’s next court appearance to give him time to seek bail.
In a letter to a judge at the federal court in New York, Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Bodansky said that pretrial services and Gardiner’s lawyer needed the extra day to interview him.Mr Bodansky said that the delay would also allow the preparation of a “potential bail application”.
Gardiner, who was also referred to as “Player” in court documents, has denied cocaine importation conspiracy and firearms-related charges.
The 58-year-old is said to be a key figure in a plot which involved a high ranking Bahamian politician inviting an undercover DEA source to Parliament to discuss a $30 million cocaine shipmentIn a letter to the court, Mr Bodansky, a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York, said: “The Government respectfully writes to request an adjournment of the initial appearance of defendant Jonathan Eric Gardiner, currently scheduled for June 24, 2026 to June 25, 2026 to provide Pretrial Services with adequate time to conduct an interview of the defendant in the presence of defense counsel, in advance of a potential bail application from the defense”.
Such requests for a brief delay are common in federal cases and US District Judge Judge Gregory Woods, who is presiding over the case, is likely to grant it.The filing appeared on a docket that is also for other Bahamians accused of being involved in the drug smuggling plot.
They include Elvis Nathaniel Curtis, 51, a former chief superintendent with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, who is alleged to have facilitated drug smuggling through airports including Lynden Pindling International Airport.Gardiner was arrested on Election Day last month after the aircraft he was traveling in from Marsh Harbour, Abaco, to Grand Bahama crashed off the Florida coast.
He was rescued by the US Coast Guard and, according to prosecutors, had $30,000 in Bahamian currency in an envelope with the name of the same politician on it who had discussed the $30 million cocaine deal with the DEA source.The politician’s name was redacted in court filings.
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