Shelian Allen, the 42-year-old Jamaican policewoman charged with smuggling more than 1,000 grams of cocaine into the US, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
The magnitude of the charges — two counts: importation of 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine — suggested that Allen could have faced up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted.
Allen will, however, serve 33 months.
The policewoman admitted to arriving at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Montego Bay, St James on February 3 with packages of cocaine in a body cavity and inside her bra cups.
Allen also had 90 pellets of packaged cocaine inside her stomach.
The policewoman had more than 1,000 grams of cocaine on or inside her body.
As part of her guilty plea, Allen admitted the following:
On February 3, Allen arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica. An inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that Allen had a package of cocaine inside her vagina and a package of cocaine inside each of her bra cups.Allen also had 90 pellets of packaged cocaine inside her stomach, which she had swallowed.CBP officers took Allen to a local hospital, where she expelled the 90 pellets.In total, Allen had over 1,000 grams of cocaine on or inside her body when she entered the United States: about 200 in her vagina, about 143 grams in her bra, and about 690 grams inside her stomach.
She was initially scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Rodolfo A Ruiz II sentence Allen on June 15 in a federal district court in Fort Lauderdale, but it was postponed.
The Miami Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. CBP assisted in the matter. Assistant US Attorney William T Shockley prosecuted the case.
