cocaine powder in lines on a black background
A New York man who had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine valued at $750,000 was sentenced to serve the next decade in New Jersey State Prison.
Police found the cocaine in the defendant’s Subaru after NJ State Troopers stopped the vehicle in Parsippany, NJ. The vehicle had allegedly come close to striking a limousine while merging from Route 80 East onto Route 287 North.
Police were suspicious when the vehicle’s two occupants provided conflicting stories about the origin of their trip. This prompted detectives to request consent to search the car.
According to prosecutors, officers discovered the drugs hidden in a secret compartment inside the vehicle. Police said that the compartment was partially open so that detectives could see packaging material.
All told, the officers found 24 kilograms of packaged cocaine in the car.
According to officials, the defendant later admitted to having been paid $15,000 in exchange for transporting the drugs from California to New York.
The defendant pleaded guilty in May to the charges, which includes first degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
In addition to being sentenced to 10 years in state prison, the defendant will also be ineligible for parole for a period of three-and-a-half years.
The female passenger in the vehicle at the time of the arrest was charged with third degree hindering apprehension. She avoided jail and was instead admitted into a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program, which will require her to perform 50 hours of community service.
Cocaine Possession Charge Parsippany Leads to 10 Years in Prison
For more information, access the NJ.com article entitled “Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Driving $750,000 Worth of Cocaine through NJ.”
