Jamaican man admits smuggling 2.8 kilos of cocaine through Newark Airport

NEWARK, NJ — A Jamaican man admitted that he smuggled approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine into the United States, acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced June 8.

Perez Omar Gibbs, 38, of Trelawny, Jamaica, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of importation of controlled substances.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Gibbs arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Law enforcement officers discovered that Gibbs possessed approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside two bags of coffee and four picture frames.

The count with which Gibbs is charged carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a potential maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20.