GUILTY PLEA: Khadin Fahie of Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
[ad name=”HTML-68″]CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A British Virgin Islands native admitted in federal court to a cocaine smuggling operation conducted in St. Thomas.
Khadin Fahie, 23, of Road Town, Tortola pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 15 but less than 40 kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said today.
Fahie appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez. His sentencing is scheduled for October 18, 2018.
The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) conducted a routine traffic stop of an unregistered SUV operated by Jesus Rosario-Rondon. Fahie was a the passenger in the vehicle. According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on March 7, 2018, a VIPD officer during a routine traffic stop observed occupants of a vehicle who appeared very nervous and agitated.
The officer also observed two large duffle bags in the back seat of the SUV, and later asked each occupant if either was the owner of the duffle bags.
Fahie and the driver of the SUV both responded that the duffle bags belonged to the other person. The VIPD officer then requested and received permission from the driver of the SUV to search the duffle bags.
Inspection of the duffle bags revealed 39 bricks containing a white powered substance, wrapped in vacuumed sealed plastic that later tested positive of the presence of cocaine.
Also discovered was one empty plastic wrapping that tested positive for cocaine. Fahie later admitted ownership of the cocaine, and stated that he traveled from Tortola to St. Thomas with the cocaine to find a buyer. Fahie further stated that the driver of the SUV had assisted him in finding a buyer for the cocaine on St. Thomas.
The case was investigated by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD).
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia Smith.