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ST. THOMAS — Tahir Donadelle of St. Thomas has entered a guilty plea to charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced late Wednesday. The plea was made before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
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Court documents reveal that on September 8, 2022, Donadelle arrived at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas from Atlanta, Georgia. During a routine screening of incoming flights, Customs and Border Protection officers inspected a suitcase later claimed by Donadelle from the luggage carousel. Upon examination, officers discovered three packages within the suitcase containing 964 light blue pills.
The pills, upon testing by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory, were confirmed to contain 109 grams of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. This guilty plea places Donadelle at risk of facing substantial legal consequences.
At his upcoming sentencing, Donadelle faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine amounting to $1,000,000.00. The sentence will be determined by a federal District Court Judge, who will take into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.
This case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne is responsible for the prosecution of the case.
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Donadelle's guilty plea marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking and distribution of fentanyl in the Virgin Islands. In March last year, the V.I. District Court prosecuted its first fentanyl case, which resulted in Elijah Hakim, 35, of St. Thomas being sentenced to 7 years in federal prison.