Henry E. Rohlsen Airport
ST. CROIX – Zion Hazel, 22, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
This federal offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of 5 to 40 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release for at least 4 years. Sentencing is set for April 3, 2020.
According to court documents, on April 12, 2018, Zion Hazel, along with co-defendant Don-Luke George, conspired to bring 2,010 grams of cocaine (2.01 kilograms) into the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport with the intent to transport the cocaine to Miami via American Airlines flight #2227. Specifically, George, who was employed at the airport, smuggled four bricks of cocaine into the passenger waiting area of the airport, and delivered them to Hazel in the handicap stall of the men’s restroom. Hazel was a passenger on the outgoing American Airlines flight, but was intercepted with the cocaine prior to boarding his flight by Customs and Border Protection officers.
The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The cocaine was analyzed by the DEA Southeast Laboratory in Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
