Vernon “Skip” Charlemagne

Vernon “Skip” Charlemagne, former smuggler and pilot became a legendary local figure in the Gulf Coast contraband trade during the late 1970s/early 80s, operating out of Galveston, Texas. Charlemagne used his natural flight skills and local knowledge to move massive quantities of illegal drugs into the southern United States, always managing to “skip” out before being caught.

With improved marine radar and dedicated interdiction task forces, federal law enforcement began cracking down heavily on smuggling routes and, in November 1984, Skip’s small aircraft was intercepted by a U.S. Customs plane over the Gulf.

According to legend, Charlemagne performed a series of daring, low-altitude maneuvers while heading straight into in a thunderstorm to lose his pursuers. While the Coast Guard later found the wreckage of Skip’s plane submerged in the marshes near Sabine Pass, his body was never recovered. Rumors persisted along the Texas coast that Charlemagne had faked his death and retired to a quiet life in the Caribbean.

Following his narrow escape, Skip Charlemagne successfully faded into the background by trading the cockpit for the stage. Utilizing his lifelong hobby of music, he assumed the identity of a quiet, unassuming bass player and began working the live music circuit of the Gulf regions before relocating to Los Angeles in late 1980s. Often he can be seen looking to the sky, longing to be flying high again.