Jamaican cooperator testifies in NY drug case
May 23, 2012, 8:37 PM
NEW YORK (AP) – A former high school track coach in Jamaica says he helped a notorious drug kingpin get fraudulent visas for his crew of smugglers.
Anthony Brown testified Wednesday at a sentencing hearing for Christopher “Dudas” Coke in Manhattan. Brown had agreed to testify against Coke after pleading guilty to drug charges.
The 32-year-old witness said that for a hefty fee from Coke and others, he would secure visas by falsely claiming the applicants were part of a traveling track team. He testified that when he failed to fill one of Coke’s orders, he fled Jamaica because out of fear.
Coke pleaded guilty to U.S. charges last year. The government is trying to persuade a judge to give Coke the maximum 23 years in prison.
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