Bahamian Samuel Knowles, who, along with Jamaicans Leebert Ramcharan and Norris 'Deedo' Nembhard, had been designated drug kingpins by the United States, was on Monday sentenced by US District Court Judge James Cohn to 35 years imprisonment.

He was also ordered to forfeit nearly US$14 million in illegally gained income.

In March, a jury found Knowles guilty of conspiracy to import and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. 

Knowles was extradited to the US in 2006 by the Bahamian government to face federal drug trafficking charges pending against him in Miami, Florida.

At the trial, the government presented evidence claiming that Knowles was the head of an international drug trafficking organization that used go-fast boats to transport tons of cocaine from Colombia, Jamaica, and the Bahamas to the United States.

The prosecution said Knowles' organization collected, stored, and distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine in South Florida once it reached the US.

Knowles had earned tens of millions of dollars in drug profits fom this operation.