OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A man who was allegedly onboard a small plane that made an emergency landing on state Route 76 in Oceanside last month has been charged by federal prosecutors with possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Troy Othneil Smith, 36, of Oceanside, is accused of trying to hide a drug package from police shortly after the plane in which he was riding landed on the highway just after 1:30 a.m. Sept. 26.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the plane took off from San Diego on the morning of Sept. 25, flew to Mesa, Arizona, and was heading back toward California on Sept. 26.
Mechanical issues forced the emergency landing on state Route 76, near Canyon Drive, according to prosecutors.
Some time after Smith and the pilot departed the plane and spoke with responding Oceanside police officers, Smith allegedly unzipped a backpack he was wearing -- drawing the attention of an officer -- and tossed a package into the bushes near a guardrail on the highway. The contents of the package tested positive for cocaine, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, and Smith was arrested. Smith made his initial court appearance on Tuesday in San Diego federal court.
Prior to the emergency landing, Smith was already under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service for allegedly shipping drugs in the mail from Oceanside to various U.S. locations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Oceanside police said last month that the 21-year-old pilot was arrested in connection with the incident. Prosecutors have not filed charges against him.