United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS MAN TRYING TO SMUGGLE COCAINE
ON A FLIGHT FROM DFW TO LONDON

FORT WORTH, Texas — Following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means, a federal jury has convicted Joe Ezeokeke on an indictment charging one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Ezeokeke, 49, a Nigerian citizen, has been in custody since his arrest in December. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Means on September 15, 2008.

The government presented evidence at trial that on December 22, 2007, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport were conducting a routine outbound examination of passengers and baggage on British Airways flight 2192. As part of that examination, officers saw suspicious objects in an X-ray of one of Joe Ezeokeke’s checked bag. Upon searching the defendant’s bag, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found approximately four kilograms of cocaine inside food canisters hidden in the bag. Joe Ezeokeke later identified the bags as his and was arrested.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent investigative efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DFW Airport Unit and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Klinck and Josh Burgess are prosecuting the case.

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