Jamaican Drug Trafficker Sentenced In NY
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Jamaican man has been sentenced in New York to 20 years in prison for his role in smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. using commercial airlines.
David Christie was sentenced Thursday in Manhattan federal court after being found guilty of narcotics importation and distribution conspiracy. The 44-year-old from Montego Bay was also ordered to forfeit over $3 million.
Court documents say the scheme involved hiding narcotics beneath airplane toilets or behind panels in the cargo sections of U.S-bound planes departing Jamaica. Coconspirators working as passengers or luggage handlers would then collect the drugs and distribute them.
Prosecutors say Christie smuggled into the U.S. more than 330 pounds of cocaine and 220 pounds of marijuana using this method.
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