CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Cape Air employee admitted in federal court on Monday to trying to move at least eight pounds of cocaine through the St. Thomas airport.
Wayne Fahie, 31, of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty in U.S District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on July 30, 2017, Fahie, and his co-defendant Roy Ellington Hodge, 41, also of St. Thomas, attempted to smuggle four kilograms of cocaine through the Cyril E. King International Airport.
Fahie used his security clearance to access the men’s restroom in the departure lounge of the airport where he met Hodge and exchanged the cocaine.
The plea agreement further states that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducting surveillance observed Hodge enter the men’s room for approximately 33 minutes.
Simultaneously, the CBP officers observed Fahie enter and exit the men’s room three times, each time with a bulge in his pants pockets.
According to the plea agreement, CBP K-9 “Sherpa” alerted to the presence of cocaine in Fahie’s pants pocket, and a search of Hodge’s cell phone revealed multiple text messages detailing the smuggling scheme.
Hodge pleaded guilty conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine on February 1, 2018.
Fahie and Hodge were arrested July 30 at the Cyril E. King Airport after federal agents said they found at least nine pounds of cocaine on their persons, authorities said.
Sentencing for Fahie and Hodge is scheduled for June 7, 2018.
Fahie and Hodge each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Four kilos is the equivalent of 8.81 pounds.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia Smith.