CONNECTICUT, United States – A Jamaican man was found guilty of narcotics trafficking, identity fraud and money laundering offences by a federal jury in Hartford in Connecticut, United States on Wednesday. 

Oniel Wilks, 42, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, as well as five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Additionally, the jury convicted him of one count of making a false statement in a passport application; one count of aggravated identity theft; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

He will be sentenced on March 16, 2022.

According to a release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the Jamaican faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 12 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Prosecutors led evidence at trial that in November 2018, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force arrested several individuals, including a man identified as Louie McDowell, who were all distributing large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in and around the Bridgeport area of Connecticut. 

A subsequent probe later disclosed that McDowell was being supplied with the illegal drugs by Wilks who was using a false identity and living in California. 

McDowell has since pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Interestingly, Wilks had been removed from the United States to Jamaica in February of 2014, the US Attorney’s Office stated. However, he then illegally re-entered the United States and stole an individual’s identity to apply for and receive a Florida driver’s license in 2015 and a US passport in 2016.  

“Investigators [also] determined that Wilks had used his fraudulent passport to travel overseas, including to Japan and Thailand,” the release added. 

Further reports are that law enforcement officers stopped Wilks in southern California in April of 2019. At the time, the US Attorney’s Office said, the Jamaica was using his stolen identity, and was found with five kilograms of suspected cocaine in the car he was driving.  

As the investigations intensified into Wilks’ drug trafficking activities, in July 2019, investigators seized a package containing six kilograms of cocaine that was being mailed from California to Connecticut. 

By August 5, 2019, Wilks was arrested and the court authorised searches of two residences, which led to a vehicle connected to him that contained “approximately four kilograms of fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, false identifications and more than US$160,000 in cash.”

The Jamaican was charged and his trial commenced on December 13 of this year.

With his conviction, Wilks will forfeit a 2014 Dodge Ram truck, a 2019 Toyota Rav4, a 2017 Acura MDX, and diamonds originally valued at more than US$50,000. 

Further, a watch he purchased for more than US$12,000, and approximately US$180,000 seized from a bank account will have to be forfeited.