Newark Airport Arrestee for Cocaine Smuggling Receives One-Year Sentence for Each of the Five Kilos Involved
According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, the individual referred to as “Death” was a 38-year-old Guyanese citizen named Dennis Edwards who had managed to evade capture since being indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy charges in 2012.
According to officials, he was involved in a scheme to bring cocaine into the country from St. Maarten via a cruise ship.
In November of last year, Edwards was apprehended by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents at Newark Airport upon being deported from the Dominican Republic.
To avoid the potential risks and uncertainties of a trial, Edwards decided to accept a deal from the government. He pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Camden to conspiring to import more than 20 kilograms of cocaine into the country.
In the federal prison system, Edwards will have to serve the entirety of his sentence, as there is no possibility of parole.
After being found guilty, Edwards was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to serve a term in prison and three years of supervised release.
Sellinger’s General Crimes Unit in Newark saw the successful plea and sentencing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro.
Sellinger credited the dedicated special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, along with the deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service and officers from Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office, for their outstanding efforts.
In addition, he expressed his gratitude towards the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance and acknowledged the officials in the Dominican Republic for their support.
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