Puerto Rican man faces 20 years in prison after cocaine smuggling conviction

Puerto Rican man faces 20 years in prison after cocaine smuggling conviction

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — After a two-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a Puerto Rican man who smuggled at least 2.2 pounds of cocaine into St. Thomas.

Carlos Gascot Concepcion, 46, of San Juan, was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.

Chief U.S. District Judge Robert A. Molloy scheduled Gascot Concepcion’s sentencing for October 4, 2024, where he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.

According to court documents, on October 4, 2023, Gascot Concepcion arrived at the Cyril
E. King airport in St. Thomas attempting to board a flight to Puerto Rico.

After clearing customs, Gascot Concepcion was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers for an inspection of his suitcase.

During the inspection, officers discovered a brick-shaped package containing one kilogram
of cocaine.

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Payne and Kimberly Riley