Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, 22, and Shannon John, 37, both of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, were sentenced by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 57 months incarceration followed by two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Tuesday.
According to court documents, on Jan. 9, 2022, Customs and Border Protection Air and
Marine Unit detected a vessel with bales of cocaine in plain view on the deck of the vessel traveling on the northeast side of St. Croix. Agents intercepted the 32-foot Manta low-profile vessel operating in international waters in an area known by law enforcement for drug trafficking. The vessel displayed no indicia of nationality, no flag, no registration documents, and was determined to be a vessel without nationality, thus subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
On board, agents discovered 21 bales wrapped in dark-colored plastic wrap and encased in rope, along with Shannon John, Sean John, Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, all of the BVI, and Augusto Rodriguez-Molina of the Dominican Republic. A total of 567 kilograms of cocaine were seized from the 21 bales discovered on the vessel. For their roles in the cocaine smuggling operation, both Tolentino-Lebron and Rodriguez-Molina admitted that they would receive $5,000 each as payment, while Sean John admitted that he would receive $100,000 and Shannon John admitted that he would receive $60,000. Rodriguez-Molina and Sean John were sentenced on April 8, 2023, and April 8.
