Shelian Allen, the 42-year-old Jamaican police officer accused of 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: importing 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine — suggested Allen could face up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted.
However, Allen will serve 33 months.
The police officer admitted she arrived 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 cocaine pellets packed inside her stomach.
The police officer had more than 1,000 grams of cocaine on or in 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 one package of cocaine inside her vagina and one package of cocaine inside each of her bra cups. CBP officers took Allen to a local hospital, where she expelled the 90 cartridges. In total, Allen had over 1,000 grams of cocaine on or in 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 originally scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Rodolfo A Ruiz II Allen’s sentencing 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 this matter. Assistant US Attorney William T Shockley prosecuted the case.
