More charges for man in drug conspiracy case

Lucien Smith, who was previously charged in connection with last September’s drug bust near Norman Island, appeared in Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 7 to face additional charges related to another alleged cocaine drop in June 2010.

Prosecutors believe Mr. Smith owned two boats that Carlton Beazer, Chad Skelton and Juan Valdez, among others, allegedly used on Sept. 29, 2010 to retrieve 278 kilograms of cocaine dropped near Norman Island, Crown Counsel Valston Graham said in court. Those three men were arrested aboard the Gotogo, which is registered to Mr. Smith, he said.

Another boat, without an apparent name, was followed to the area of Guana Island, where law enforcement officials saw surveillance footage of suspected bales of cocaine being unloaded, Mr. Graham said.

The bales were recovered from Guana Island, and the boat was found a few days later sunk, with what appeared to be bullet holes, between Jost Van Dyke and St. Thomas, according to the prosecutor.

Further investigation found what appeared to be traces of cocaine on the boat and engines allegedly purchased by Mr. Smith, the prosecutor said. Asked about the engines, Mr. Smith, a freelance boat mechanic, said he had purchased them for a customer whose name he gave, but investigators were unable to find any evidence of the man living in or entering the Virgin Islands, Mr. Graham said.

In connection with that case, Mr. Smith was charged in December with conspiracy to import a controlled drug, importation of cocaine and unlawful possession of cocaine.

 

New charges

Last week, additional charges of importation of cocaine and unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply were read against Mr. Smith, in connection with another alleged cocaine drop, said to have brought 240 kilograms of the drug into the territory on June 10, 2010.

Mr. Smith, who was already on $600,000 bail, including a $100,000 cash component, for the previous charges, was offered $500,000 bail, including $100,000 cash, for the new charges.

He was ordered to report daily to the Road Town Police Station and return to court Sept. 27.

On that day, his alleged co-conspirators — Messrs. Beazer, Skelton and Valdez, and Earl “Bob” Hodge, Roberto “Tico” Harrigan, and Violet “Letty” Hodge — are to return to court as well.

Messrs. Hodge, Harrigan, Beazer, Skelton and Valdez also face United States charges in connection with the alleged conspiracy, said to have lasted from 1998 through last year’s Norman Island bust.