The Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, USVI Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM
ST. THOMAS — Carlos Gascot Concepcion, 46, of Puerto Rico, has been sentenced to 55 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy handed down the sentence after a federal jury found Gascot Concepcion guilty.
According to court documents, on October 4, 2023, Gascot Concepcion attempted to board a flight from Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas to Puerto Rico. During an inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, a brick-shaped package containing one kilogram of cocaine was discovered in his suitcase.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Kimberly Riley as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative.
The OCDETF program focuses on identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach, OCDETF collaborates with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized crime.
