NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – A Jamaican man made his initial appearance today on charges that he smuggled approximately one kilogram of cocaine into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Perez Omar Gibbs, 37, of Jamaica, was arrested on Jan. 9, 2021, and is charged by complaint with one count of importation of controlled substances. He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was remanded without bail.
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 one kilogram 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 $5 million fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Troy Miller, director of Field Operations, New York Field Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.