Two foreigners accused of importing millions of dollars worth of cannabis have pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Andrew [Steve] Blatchley, 58, of Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in Supreme Court yesterday, to money laundering the proceeds from drug trafficking.

On Friday Peter Sagos, 36, from Ottawa, Canada, pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Both men denied conspiring to import cannabis into the Island between a date unknown and September 23 of last year.

Prosecutor Cindy Clarke accepted those pleas and said the Crown planned to make a request to confiscate the 36-foot boat Bomba Shack the men sailed into Bermuda. They will be sentenced on Friday.

Jeannie Harden, 58, of Charleston and Eddie Plourde, 68, of Quebec, Canada had also been charged with the importation.

However, following a preliminary inquiry into the evidence against the four held last December, the prosecution dropped the charges against Ms Harden and Mr. Plourde. Mr. Plourde died of cancer shortly after returning to Canada.

Blatchley's friend, Bob Kelley of Charleston, said he was shocked his friend had been arrested.

"For eight years or so that I have known him Steve has been an automobile mechanic," he said, prior to Blatchley's guilty plea. "As such, he has never appeared to have a lifestyle that could be described as wealthy or luxurious.

"In fact, he couldn't even purchase the boat he sailed to Bermuda outright but has a mortgage on it."

The two men belonged to the same boat club and have crewed together on offshore races from Florida back to Charleston.

"When I was club commodore, Steve served in a position where he was responsible for club property and funds," he said. "During all the time I have known him he has never been involved in any questionable activities and has always done a good job and been dedicated to the task at hand. Aside from his marriage Steve's primary love has always been his boat and sailing."

Mr. Kelley said Blatchley lost his job last year due to the recession and decided to sail to Jamaica where he planned to run a charter boat company with his wife Sandi.

Mrs. Blatchley has previously said the charges against her husband are groundless. Yesterday she said she hopes her husband's sentence would be time served so he could quickly return to the US.

The maximum penalty the defendants face is 25 years, although The Royal Gazette understands the Crown will recommend five years' imprisonment.