A Pawtucket man is facing federal charges for allegedly receiving a shipment of cocaine that was packed inside an old television set.
The Justice Department says the package intended for Jomar Cruz-Aponte was intercepted from Colombia on December 22nd.
According to Assistant US Attorney William Ferland, "It is alleged in charging documents that on December 22, 2021, for the second time in nine days, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package shipped to Rhode Island from Columbia, manifested as containing an “old TV without commercial value.” The first package, addressed to a Central Falls residence, was found to contain an older, dial-operated television with 300 grams of cocaine stored inside. The second package, earmarked to be delivered by UPS to a Pawtucket residence, was found to contain a second tube model TV that contained 1093 grams of cocaine stored inside.
Federal agents and Pawtucket police conducted a controlled delivery one week later.
Cruz Aponte has been detained. He has not been arraigned yet.
(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)