John McCarthy
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A native of the Dominican Republic was slapped with a 14-year prison after a conviction on cocaine conspiracy charges.
Yefri Martinez-Herrera, 31, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
Martinez-Herrera was given that sentence by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy after pleading
guilty on March 6, 2023, U.S. Attorney Smith added,
According to court documents, Martinez-Herrera and co-defendant Kelly Bruney, agreed to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to an undercover agent at a cost of $11,500.00 per kilogram.
The investigation concluded on February 3, 2022, when federal agents executed a search warrant at Martinez-Herrera’s home in Frenchtown.
From the search, agents recovered 87 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm in Martinez-Herrera’s bedroom. Agents also discovered Martinez-Herrera hiding in a
closet.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
