A former American Airlines mechanic from New York who faced financial difficulties before being convicted of cocaine trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for plotting to hide chunks of the drug under the cockpit of a passenger plane, according to federal authorities.
Federal agents say that in 2020, customs agents arrested Paul Beloissi, 56, of Smithtown, after they found more than 25 pounds of drugs and replaced them with fake packages covered in a substance that glows under a black light. He had filed for bankruptcy three years earlier, according to court records.
Federal agents then monitored the plane and observed Beloisi heading to the compartment where the counterfeit drugs were hidden, wearing an empty tool bag and a jacket with a cut-out large enough to hide a brick, Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement.
Former American Airlines mechanic Paul Beloasi was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for smuggling cocaine into the United States through John F. Kennedy International Airport. (Ministry of Justice)
They shined a black light on his gloves and saw a distinctive glow.
Federal authorities called him a “corrupt insider” and said the sentence should serve as a warning to other officials who seek to abuse their positions.
“Paul Beloasi participated in a scheme to exploit his position to import over 25 pounds of cocaine into the United States and put his own interests above the security of the aviation industry by repeatedly storing the smuggled drugs in sensitive areas of passenger aircraft,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren McCormack of HSI New York said in a statement. “His death should send a message to all who seek to exploit the aviation industry. HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are committed to maintaining the security of our transportation infrastructure both within and outside the United States.”
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Homeland Security Investigations said holes in the lining of Beloisi's jacket were intended to hide cocaine. (Ministry of Justice)
American Airlines, which has not been accused of wrongdoing in the smuggling case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to a federal criminal complaint, a flight arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport from Jamaica on February 4, 2020.
An American Airlines Boeing 777 arrives at New York's JFK International Airport from Milan on February 7, 2024. (Charlie Triboreaux/AFP via Getty Images)
Two Customs and Border Protection agents inspected the plane and found 10 blocks of cocaine hidden under a blanket in a storage compartment below the cockpit.
They replaced them with fake bricks and transponders to signal movement inside the vehicle, while HSI agents assisted with visual surveillance from a distance.
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Federal authorities said they found Beloisi with the empty tool bag after he entered the passenger cabin of the jet and recovered more than 25 pounds of cocaine. (Ministry of Justice)
Hours passed with no activity, but then about 20 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart, Beloisi appeared and entered the cabin. Five seconds later, he activated his transponder, according to the lawsuit.
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Judge Dora Irizarry imposed a concurrent 108-month sentence on three counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and import cocaine.
