United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

MAN CONVICTED OF TRYING TO SMUGGLE COCAINE
ON A FLIGHT FROM DFW TO LONDON
SENTENCED TO 11 ½ YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

FORT WORTH, Texas — Joe Ezeokeke, who was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 138 months (11 ½ years) in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Ezeokeke, 49, a Nigerian citizen, was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. He will be deported after serving his sentence.

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 prosecuted the case.

###