(CMR) Cayman Airways employee, Corey James Miller, has plead guilty to an illegal drugs exportation charge in U.S. federal court, according to records published Tuesday by the Miami-area district court.
Miller was arrested April 29 along with another man, Kelven Claret, attempting to leave Miami on CAL flight KX 103. The arrest occurred at Miami International Airport on the jetway of a Cayman Airways flight on April 29, after security personnel searched their suitcases and found 2.94 kilograms (about 6.5 pounds) of ganja stuffed inside boxes of laundry detergent in 12 packages.
The details are that after the men checked in at the airline ticket counter, their three suitcases were inspected by U.S. Transportation Security Agency officers. “TSA inspectors discovered several packages of a brownish, leafy substance concealed inside three boxes of laundry detergent,” the criminal complaint stated, adding the estimated weight of the substance, which field-tested as ganja was 2.94 kilograms [about 6.5 pounds]. Both men were stopped on the airline jetway and taken in for questioning. According to the criminal complaint: “Kelven Claret admitted that Corey James Miller had recruited him to smuggle the marijuana into Grand Cayman Islands from Miami. Claret also admitted that Corey James Miller paid him US$2,000 in advance and was going to pay him another US$2,000 upon his arrival to the Grand Cayman Islands for smuggling the marijuana.” Investigators stated they had obtained a Western Union receipt for a US$2,000 payment to Mr. Claret from Mr. Miller in Mr. Claret’s “personal effects.”
The allegation is that there was an ongoing conspiracy to smuggle ganja into the Cayman Islands from south Florida that began in January. The two conspired “with each other and with others known and unknown to the United States Attorney” to export ganja from the U.S. to Cayman.
Federal investigators said Miller initially told them he did not know Mr. Claret, but the probe later revealed that Miller’s girlfriend purchased airline tickets for both men to travel on April 29.
“Upon review of Claret’s phone, law enforcement discovered numerous messages with Miller discussing smuggling of marijuana into the Cayman Islands airport … Specifically, recorded audio messages from Miller, which captured Miller’s voice, corroborated that Miller and Claret agreed to work together to smuggle marijuana into the Cayman Islands on multiple occasions between … January 2018 and April 29, 2018.”
Mr. Miller’s sentencing was set for June 29. The court acknowledged he would likely receive a reduced sentence.
Mr. Claret’s matter is still before the court. He told U.S. investigators that he was recruited by Mr. Miller and paid $2,000 for his assistance in the drugs transshipment attempt.
Two Cayman Airways employees have been arrested within the past month in relation to ongoing drug investigations.
The second arrest happened Monday, May 14 in Grand Cayman and involved a different CAL employee, as well as a local customs officer on suspicion of conspiracy to import ganja into the Cayman Islands. No charges had been filed in connection with the Monday arrests and Customs Collector Charles Clifford clarified Tuesday that separate CAL workers had been arrested on the different dates.
“The customs officer and Cayman Airways employee that were arrested in Grand Cayman [Monday] are not the same two people that were arrested in Miami previously,” Mr. Clifford said.
CMR sources have indicated that additional persons arrested locally are:
Pictured: Theon Gray, a Cayman Airways airline employee and Custom's Officer, Eddree Joann Fisher were both arrested on May 14 on suspicion of conspiracy to import ganja into the Cayman Islands. Many suspect that the cases are all related.
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