The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN boat captain facing a possible life sentence in a $4 million cocaine case owned 30 percent of a charter company co-owned by former FNM candidate Marvin Dames, his lawyer has told a US court — a claim at odds with Mr Dames' description of the man as "never really a business partner."

In a motion filed ahead of Malcolm Goodman's sentencing next month, defence attorney Jay Allen White said his client invested $20,000 of his savings in 2023 to become a 30 percent owner of Reel Xperience Boat Charters LLC. He called it "a small charter business he built with his business partners."

Mr Dames had previously described Goodman as just an employee to whom he and his wife had given an opportunity to improve his circumstances. He said he entered a business relationship with Goodman in 2024.

Goodman, 31, a boat captain who worked in Eleuthera, was arrested on February 11. US authorities found an estimated $4 million worth of cocaine on a boat he was operating near Florida. According to the new court filings, Mr Dames and Goodman owned the boat.

Mr Dames has distanced himself from the case. He compared it to lending someone your car, or letting an employee use your vehicle, only to have them caught with illegal items inside. In April, he told The Tribune that he and his wife were working to recover the vessel, on which they were still paying off a "significant loan."

In a separate filing, US prosecutors told the court they are no longer seeking to permanently confiscate the boat through federal forfeiture proceedings at this time.

Goodman pleaded guilty on July 15 to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, after reaching a plea agreement with US prosecutors. The offence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Prosecutors and Goodman jointly recommended a sentence of nine to 11 years under the federal sentencing guidelines.

In his motion for a downward variance before US District Judge Melissa Damian, Mr White asked for a sentence "well" below the usual guideline range. He argued that his client was driven by debt, not criminal ambition.

"It is respectfully submitted,” the filing said, "that Mr Goodman's participation in this offence was born of dire financial desperation — the pressure of outstanding personal debts and the ongoing need to provide for his young son and his grandmother — rather than any criminal enterprise or design."

Mr White said he was not asking the court to minimise the seriousness of the offence. He acknowledged that Goodman fully accepted responsibility for operating a vessel on which 200.8 kilogrammes of cocaine were found.

However, Mr White argued that the operation lacked the sophistication of an experienced or organised trafficker. He said the cocaine was in plain view, was not hidden the way experienced traffickers typically hide drugs, and needed no special tools or knowledge to find.

Goodman did not try to create an elaborate cover story, disguise the vessel's course or documentation, or hide the drugs when questioned, Mr White said. He also did not try to evade law enforcement or throw the cocaine overboard.

Mr White said people hired to move large shipments would normally expect some payment or retainer upfront, given the risks. Goodman allegedly received nothing upfront and relied entirely on a promise of payment once the cocaine was delivered.

Mr White described that arrangement as "far more consistent with the desperate financial position of an unsophisticated participant" than the calculated approach of a professional trafficker.

He also cited a US Supreme Court case on the need for sentencing to consider the individual defendant, not solely the crime.

The filing describes Goodman as a devoted father, beloved grandson and community leader who had worked steadily in the maritime industry since 2015. He started as a mate, became a water shuttle captain for cruise lines and later worked as a charter and pilot boat captain. Mr White said his client had no criminal history.

Sixteen reference letters from religious leaders, relatives, friends and colleagues were attached to the filing. Mr White said nothing spoke more directly to Goodman's character.

Savanna Ford, the mother of Goodman's son, wrote that even while he is incarcerated, he continues to pay the boy's bills with help from family and friends and makes sure the child has everything he needs. Ms Ford said she was disappointed by the arrest and acknowledged that his actions had consequences. She said she did not want her son to lose his close relationship with a father he deeply admires.

"A child should be able to experience his father's presence, guidance, encouragement, and love," she wrote, "and MJ deeply misses those things."

Goodman's cousin, Giltavia, described him as their grandmother's main caregiver. She said he cooked her breakfast, cleaned her home and paid her bills before going to work. She said learning of his arrest was one of the most painful calls of her life, and that at first she thought he was joking.

According to his cousin, Goodman told her: "I'm sorry. Tell everyone I love them and I'm so sorry."

"What struck me even in that terrible moment," she said, "was that Malcolm was thinking about everyone else before himself."

Donnalee Miller, a justice of the peace and catechist in the Anglican Church, described Goodman as respectful, responsible and caring. Ms Miller said she was deeply surprised by his actions, which did not match the man she had known over the years.

Former colleagues, including Captain Yuri Butler, vice president of Bahamas Elite Maritime Company, praised his professionalism and work ethic and asked the court for leniency.

Michael Cortino, who has known Goodman since childhood, said that at the time of his arrest Goodman was working three jobs to support his family and community: harbour pilot, fishing charter captain and operator of a commercial cleaning service.

"While nothing excuses his lapse in judgment," Mr Cortino said, "I believe his actions stemmed from a misplaced, desperate desire to provide lasting financial security for his family rather than personal greed."

Judge Damian is expected to sentence Goodman on October 7.