NEWARK, NJ — A Peruvian woman has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for smuggling approximately 7 kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Peru, acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced Oct. 13.
Yolanda Fonseca Melgarejo, 60, a legal permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Peru, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging her with one count of importation of controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Fonseca Melgarejo arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from Lima, Peru, on March 31, 2019. Law enforcement officers discovered that Fonseca Melgarejo possessed approximately 7 kilograms of cocaine concealed within wrapped chocolate candy in her luggage.
In addition to the prison term, Wigenton sentenced Melgarejo to two years of supervised release.
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