CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A St. Thomas man who admitted in federal court that he tried to move 50 pounds of cocaine to Atlanta on a commercial flight faces a possible life sentence, authorities said.
Shahime “Prettyboyswagg” Ludvig, Jr., 20, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Ludvig’s sentencing is set for March 14, 2019.
According to court documents, Ludvig attempted to smuggle twenty-three kilograms of cocaine through the Cyril E. King International Airport to Atlanta, Georgia on Delta Flight #307.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agents at the airport discovered that Ludvig’s checked suitcase contained white brick-like objects that field tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately twenty-three kilograms.
Ludvig faces a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and not more than life and a fine of $10,000,000.00.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.