A white pension: how a "lifetime fishing trip" led to a real prison sentence for a grandfather (4 photos)

While we were discussing China's high technology, a classic crime drama, similar to Breaking Bad, was unfolding in Florida, only with a nautical twist and a retiree in the lead role.





It all started in the coastal waters of Florida, where 65-year-old Bradford Todd Picariello, an experienced fishing boat captain, pulled a "goldfish" out of the water. Instead of tuna, he caught (or rather, grabbed) sealed packages. Inside were 23 kilograms of pure cocaine. It seemed like the perfect chance to secure a comfortable retirement and retire a millionaire without waiting for government benefits.



The captain decided not to call the police, but to play a Scarface-style game. He quickly found a buyer, offering him a trial batch at a discounted price—just $10,000 per kilogram. To avoid attracting attention from onlookers at the port, Bradford performed a masterstroke of secrecy: he told the client to bring an ordinary cooler bag. The plan was simple: from the outside, the deal was to look like a routine purchase of a fresh catch straight from the boat.





However, the retiree's fateful moment came when he named his own boat. The boat, proudly named "Outlaw," lived up to its name, but not its owner's expectations. The "buyer" who so diligently brought the refrigerator to the meeting turned out to be an undercover DEA agent. As soon as the marked dollars changed hands, a SWAT team appeared on the dock. And so the old man was welcomed into the boat.



The outcome of the "fishing trip of a lifetime" was disastrous. Instead of a luxurious mansion on the shore, a prison sentence awaits the grandfather. During the search, not only all the powder found was confiscated from Bradford, but also a loaded .40-caliber pistol, $8,000 in cash, and, most painfully, his trusty speedboat. Now federal prosecutors are preparing charges that will ensure the captain spends his "white pension" behind bars.