An American Airlines mechanic at John F. Kennedy International Airport was convicted of smuggling 10 bricks of cocaine hidden in an electronics compartment under the cockpit of the plane.
Paul Belloisi, 55, was convicted of three counts of an indictment, including conspiring to possess cocaine, conspiring to import cocaine and importing cocaine. A federal jury in Brooklyn gave the verdict Tuesday following a one-week trial. Belloisi faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced.
“As proven, the defendant was caught red-handed trying to facilitate the smuggling of a large stash of cocaine hidden in an electronics compartment of the aircraft,” Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York, said in a statement. “This corrupt airline mechanic not only abused his position of trust and undermined the security of a vital border crossing in our district, but was also willing to potentially endanger the safety of travelers as well as the community.”
On Feb. 4, 2020, American Airlines flight 1349 was picked for a random search after arriving at JFK Airport’s Terminal 8 from Montego Bay, Jamaica.
It was there officers found 10 bricks of cocaine weighing 25.56 pounds hidden inside an electronics compartment, under the cockpit. The cocaine was replaced with fake bricks and sprayed with a substance that glows when illuminated with a special light.
Officers and special agents watched the aircraft from a distance. Before it was scheduled to take off for its next flight, Belloisi drove up and pulled himself inside the electronics compartment.
When he was confronted by law enforcement with black light, his gloves were glowing, indicating he handled the fake bricks.
He had an empty tool bag and the lining of his jacket had holes big enough to hold the bricks of cocaine.
The cocaine found had a street value of approximately $285,000 to $320,000.
