CONNECTICUT, USA – A Jamaican man was on Wednesday sentenced to more than seven years in prison for shipping large amounts of cocaine from California to Hartford, Connecticut in the United States.

Marvin Lloyd, 51, who last resided in Hartford, was one of 18 persons charged in the drug smuggling scheme.

The Jamaican pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine in August last year, and was sentenced on Wednesday to 87 months imprisonment by US District Judge Vanessa L Bryant.

According to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, Lloyd’s arrest came after it was discovered that individuals were receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California, and then distributing the drug in and around Hartford.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the US Postal Inspection Service subsequently launched a joint investigation, which revealed that Lloyd “coordinated the shipment of numerous parcels containing kilogram-quantities of cocaine, and also parcels containing large quantities of marijuana, from California to addresses in Hartford.”

Further reports are that when the drug-filled parcels arrived, US Postal Service letter carrier, Jesus Rodriguez, “delivered them to Lloyd”.

In addition to his delivery service, “Rodriguez also distributed cocaine, some of which he received from Lloyd, to his own drug customers, and delivered parcels to other cocaine traffickers in the Hartford area,” the US Attorney’s Office stated.

Lloyd was arrested on May 21, 2019, and days later, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Lloyd, Rodriguez and 17 others with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and related offences.

The Jamaican faces the likelihood of deportation following the completion of his prison term.

Rodriguez has pleaded guilty, and awaits sentencing.