Shellon Nikita Beckles who was held at the JFK Airport in New York after disembarking a CAL flight on November 22, last year was last month sentenced to time served for swallowing 40 pellets containing 513.2 grammes of cocaine.
On April 7, 2016 Beckles pleaded guilty to the importation of cocaine.
According to US court documents seen by Stabroek News on May 9, 2016, Justice Allyne R. Ross sentenced Beckles to time served. The US had opposed a sentence of time served arguing that it would not reflect the seriousness of Beckles’ conduct: swallowing and importing more than a pound of pellets containing cocaine into the US.
The US had further argued that Beckles’ personal background and lack of criminal history did not remove the case from the “heartland of drug importation cases”. The presentencing report had noted that Beckles’ family circumstances were quite positive compared to many courier defendants. It noted that her father was healthy and owns a lumberyard at which the defendant had worked for four years as a cashier. “In sum, the defendant was gainfully employed with two living, supportive parents, but nonetheless chose to risk her employment and these relationships to import cocaine into the United States.”
The judge however disagreed with the US government’s arguments and sentenced Beckles to time served.
Beckles had last year been placed on bail of US$150,000 with an order that her passport be surrendered. Her travel within the United States has also been restricted.
The court documents said that Beckles was selected for a border enforcement examination upon arriving in New York in November last year.
Thomas Wilbert, Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations in his affidavit had said that a baggage examination yielded negative results. Wilbert said that the defendant appeared nervous in response to questioning.
A pat-down search was requested and approved and this also yielded negative results.
“Upon further questioning, the defendant admitted to swallowing narcotics.
“The defendant read a standard x-ray consent form, indicated that she understood it, and signed it.
“She was then transported to the medical facility at JFK,” the agent said.
He further testified that an x-ray of the defendant’s intestinal tract was positive for foreign bodies and she passed around 11 pellets, one of which field-tested positive for cocaine. Beckles was then arrested and detained at the JFK medical facility until she passed all of the pellets.
