Ex-‘cocaine cowboy’ pilot, 7 others charged with auto fraud

MIAMI – A former pilot for Colombia’s Medellin cartel during Miami’s “cocaine cowboy” years has been indicted along with seven others from Florida and Missouri in a complex automobile fraud scheme.

Miami federal prosecutors said in a news release Thursday that 71-year-old Mickey Munday was among those charged with 14 fraud counts each. Munday and the others face maximum prison sentences of 20 years on each count.

A convicted felon, Munday has given frequent interviews and appears in the 2006 documentary “Cocaine Cowboys” about the violent 1982 drug trade. He did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

Investigators say the group used various means to fraudulently obtain vehicles that were later sold for more than $1.6 million between 2008 and 2016.

Prosecutors say Munday’s role was to hide the vehicles.