United States of America v. Kartayah Nariah Feliciano

Miami, Florida, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with possession of cocaine.



In October 2022, Melinna Destra recruited Feliciano to im

port and distribute cocaine. Destra enticed her with a "free” Carib

bean cruise. Although Feliciano felt that something "was not

right,” she took Destra up on the offer. While en route to Miami,

Florida, Destra gave Feliciano a backpack, told her to put her be

longings in it, and promised her $1,600. When they arrived at a Ja

maican port, Destra, Feliciano, and Jacqueline Mason left the ship

with their backpacks. Individuals picked them up, instructed them

to leave the backpacks, and later returned the backpacks. Before

they reboarded the ship, Destra gave Feliciano and Mason a hand

bag. All the women reboarded the ship with a backpack and a hand

bag.

Feliciano inspected her backpack when she returned to her

room, noticed unusual stitching, and heard a crinkling sound inside

the bag. She suspected that the bag contained drugs. She asked Ma

son about the altered condition of the bag, and Mason reassured

her that Destra had "done this before.” At the end of the cruise,

Customs and Border officers conducted a secondary inspection and

found 16.042 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the belongings of

all three women, of which 4.983 kilograms of cocaine was located

in Feliciano's handbag and the lining of her backpack. All three

women were arrested.

A grand jury indicted the women on eight counts. It charged

Feliciano with four of those counts. She pleaded guilty to two

Counts: importing cocaine into the United States, 21 U.S.C. § 952(a),

and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it, id. § 841(a)(1).

The Defendant was sentenced to 60 months in prison.