MIAMI – A man accused of steering a boat carrying illegal migrants from the Bahamas to South Florida last year has pleaded guilty to causing the voyage's deadly outcome.
Naaman Davis, 53, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to one count of encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the U.S. resulting in death and one count of aiding and assisting an aggravated felon to enter the U.S.
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Davis was steering the smuggling boat from Bimini to South Florida on Oct. 15 when it began to take on water and capsized.
Federal prosecutors said he drank some rum before leaving the Bahamas and smoked crack cocaine during one of the several times the boat stalled.
Davis and another man jumped overboard before the boat capsized.
Five of 13 migrants on board got trapped underneath the capsized vessel. Four of them, all women, died.
Four other men have also pleaded guilty to their role in the incident.
George Lewis, Matthew Williams, Everton Jones and Kenard Hagigal pleaded guilty to illegal reentry to the U.S. by an aggravated felon.
Davis could face up to life in prison. The other defendants could be sentenced to 20 years behind bars.