The owner of a Fort Lauderdale aviation business on Friday was sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit two airplanes for illegally transporting Iridium-192, a hazardous radioactive material to the Bahamas.
Harold Degregory Jr. also was found guilty in January of making false statements to the government. In addition to prison and forfeiture, he was fined $1,000 and will serve probation after his release, ruled U.S. District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan.
As the president of H&G Import Export of Fort Lauderdale, Degregory, who lives in West Palm Beach, was accused of transporting the radioactive isotope Iridium-192 to the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He flew the Iridium in a twin-engine Piper aircraft in a container known as a “pig” and then subcontracted the “pig” to a commercial airliner, without the pilot’s knowledge, to take it to Freeport, Bahamas. Degregory never submitted the required manifests, the government said.
On another occasion he gave customs a form that failed to disclose radioactive cargo.
The governmen maintains DeGregory was one of a group of pilots who conduct illegal commercial cargo and passenger flight operations under the guise of private, non-commercial activity with the intent of evading the enhanced safety and regulatory oversight given to commercial operators.
The planes that were forfeited, two Piper Navajo, are valued at $75,000 each.
Iridium-192 is used in industrial radiography.
