CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A former United States postal worker in St. Thomas got 3.08 years in prison from a federal judge for mailing 308 pounds of marijuana in the U.S. mail.
Calvin Benjamin, 50, of St. Thomas, was sentenced today for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez sentenced Benjamin to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment and perform 400 hours of community service.
On October 30, 2017, Benjamin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
According to documents filed in court, between January 10, 2016 and March 8, 2017, Benjamin and other co-conspirators possessed and distributed approximately 140 kilograms of marijuana through the United States Postal Service.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.