Crime

Florida Man Pleads Guilty In Cocaine Smuggling Operation At Cyril E. King Airport

ST. THOMAS -- Jamal Haynes, 39, of Tallahassee, Fla., pleaded guilty in District Court Monday to two different conspiracies to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett announced today. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez remanded Haynes to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his sentencing on March 1, 2018. According to the plea agreement filed with the court, Haynes was a member of a drug trafficking organization from 2011 through 2016. While he was involved in the drug trafficking organization, Hayes conspired with others to ship cocaine from St. Thomas to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., via the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas. For each smuggling operation, co-defendant Makimba Barry traveled from Miami to St. Thomas to pick up 10 or more kilograms of cocaine and deliver it to Neal Chesterfield. Chesterfield, a law enforcement officer, would then smuggle the cocaine through the King Airport using his law enforcement c...