Two men were remanded yesterday after being found guilty of a plot to import heroin.Supreme Court had heard that Lorenzo Lottimore, 33, and Craig Hatherley, 27, were involved in a plot to import almost 400g of the drug on a flight from Philadelphia to Bermuda between an unknown date and June 2, 2011.Lottimore, a former mechanic at the airport, was previously convicted of illegally boarding an aircraft in an incident in 2010 (see separate story).The investigation began after a Philadelphia baggage handler, Brian Wade, was caught hiding a package of cannabis on an aircraft destined for Bermuda in October 2010.Wade agreed to assist US Homeland Security as they continued to investigate the matter.The court had heard that Wade recorded several cell phone conversations with a man, who prosecutors alleged was Lottimore, about plans to bring more drugs to Bermuda.Hatherley travelled to New York in April 2010 to get the drugs to an associate of Wade, but he was instead greeted by an undercover officer.During the brief meeting, which was recorded by a surveillance camera, Hatherley gave the officer a package wrapped in a towel, which was later found to contain nearly 400g of heroin.Wade later told his Bermudian contact that he would place the drugs on a Bermuda-bound plane, but instead US Homeland Security officers placed a dummy package containing four on board.Prosecutors said that the first package was not recovered, and as a result a second package was put on a flight to Bermuda on June 1, 2011.The court heard that package Loren Marshall collected in Bermuda and put it in a blue and white flask. Later that day, Mr Marshall delivered it to Carroll at Burchall’s Cove in Hamilton Parish later that day.Carroll later passed the flask to Lottimore, but officers interrupted the meeting, arresting both men.Officers told the court Carroll reportedly to flee on foot, throwing two bundles containing a total of $10,000 in cash in the process.Lottimore meanwhile attempted to ride away from the area, but was stopped by police with the flask hanging from a strap around his neck.Hatherley was arrested the next day outside his Paget home.A search of Lottimore’s home revealed documentation of a Western Union money transfer used to pay Wade, along with two papers with phone numbers related to the investigation.Both Mr Marshall and Carroll were employed at LF Wade International Airport at the time of the incident, and were initially charged in connection with the matter.The prosecution elected not to proceed against Mr Marshall, while Carroll was taken off the information after pleaded guilty to separate charges of conspiring to import drugs.Concluding her closing speech yesterday, Ms Pearman challenged the telephone evidence which prosecutors said linked Lottimore to the conspiracy.The court had heard police discovered four phones on Lottimore’s person when he was arrested, including one used in communications with Wade.Ms Pearman however argued there was no evidence that Lottimore ever used it himself.She also said that records had shown two of the phones found on Mr Lottimore had been used to contact each other.“If they are saying that these phone numbers are connected to Mr Lottimore, they need some explanation as to why they are calling each other,” she said.Ms Pearman also defended what prosecutors described as efforts to flee the scene during the Burchall’s Cove raid, saying that police involved testified they were in plain clothes and riding unmarked vehicles.“In a case like that when you see all sorts of people jumping out of cars, it seems prudent to ride away,” she said.She further questioned the chain of evidence as presented by the Crown, describing inconsistencies in the version of events put forward by officers involved in the case regarding the search of Lottimore and the cataloguing of evidence.Lawyer Larry Mussenden, representing Hatherley, described the investigation as “sloppy,” questioning the lack of DNA, fingerprint and voice analysis evidence presented.He also noted that the analysis of the drugs by US experts varied from that performed by Bermudian experts.“There is no doubt that it is heroin,” Mr Mussenden said. “I’m pointing out how poor the science is, so much so that they said it was a big difference in the values.“You have got to ask yourself that question. How can you be sure?”He further told the jury that there was no evidence that Hatherley knew that heroin was wrapped up in the blanket he gave an undercover officer.Even if he did, Mr Mussenden said there was no evidence Hatherley was aware of any conspiracy to bring the drugs to Bermuda.“What evidence is there that Mr Hatherley was involved part of the conspiracy? The Crown has to prove to you that Hatherley had some knowledge that he was part of the conspiracy,” Mr Mussenden said.“You cannot be part of a conspiracy if you don’t know.”After more than two hours of deliberation, the 11-person jury found both defendants guilty of conspiring to import the drugs.Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons remanded both men into custody to await sentencing.Lottimore and Hatherley were a short time later led to a waiting police vehicle outside the court handcuffed together.As he left Supreme Court, Lottimore flashed a peace sign and a thumbs-up to the gathered friends and family.