CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A British Virgin Islands native was given 10 years in prison by a federal judge today for smuggling 22 pounds of cocaine through the airport in St. Thomas.
Ashley Warner, 54, of Road Town, Tortola, was handed that sentence by U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez for conspiracy and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Judge Gomez sentenced Warner to 120 months followed by five years supervised release, according to Shappert. He also ordered that Warner pay a $200 special assessment.
According to court documents, Warner was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Cyril E. King International Airport after it was discovered that Warner was attempting to smuggle 10 kilograms of cocaine through the airport to the U.S. mainland in coolers.
The white powdery substance discovered inside the coolers, tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 10 kilograms.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.