CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who tried to smuggle 190 pounds of cocaine into the territory got 10 years in prison from a federal judge.
Kelly Bruney, 36, of Frenchtown, was sentenced to 120 months incarceration for his conviction on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine charges, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
Bruney previously pleaded guilty to those charges before sentencing Chief U.S. District Judge Robert A. Molloy in October 2023.
According to court documents, Bruney and co-defendant, Yefri Martinez-Herrera, agreed to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to an undercover federal agent.
The investigation culminated on February 3, 2022, when federal agents executed a search warrant at
Bruney’s residence in Frenchtown, St. Thomas, where they seized 87 kilograms of cocaine
and a firearm. Agents also found Martinez-Herrera hiding in a bedroom closet.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland
Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.