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Las Vegas woman sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for cocaine smuggling

PHOENIX — A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for importing more than $2 million of cocaine with the intent to distribute it in the United States. The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Darnelld Rebeca Colman, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen M. McNamee to 120 months of imprisonment followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Colman was convicted Oct. 27 by a federal jury.

Trial evidence showed that Colman drove her car from Mexico into Arizona through the San Luis port of entry. After being referred for a secondary inspection by CBP, officers discovered that Colman's car contained more than 20 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment in the roof. The street value of the narcotics was estimated at more than $2 million. Colman testified at trial that she did not know the cocaine was in her car.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah DeJong and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert K. Lu of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona.