NEWARK, N.J. – A Peruvian woman today admitted smuggling approximately seven kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Peru, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Yolanda Fonseca Melgarejo, 59, a legal permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Peru, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of importation of controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Fonseca Melgarejo arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from Lima, Peru, on March 31, 2019. Law enforcement officers discovered that Fonseca Melgarejo possessed approximately seven kilograms of cocaine concealed within wrapped chocolate candy in her luggage.
The count to which Fonseca Melgarejo pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a potential maximum penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million dollars. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2021.
