A German man, who was caught earlier this year attempting to smuggle cocaine from Guyana to Spain while in transit in the US, was on Friday sentenced to 30 months in prison by Judge Dora Irizarry in a Brooklyn Federal Court.
Sabastian Fritsch was caught at the JFK airport on February 4 after he disembarked a Delta Airlines flight from Guyana, with 3.765.2 grammes of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to smuggling cocaine in March. According to the complaint, the man had the cocaine in a briefcase, photo album and a portfolio. He was singled out for questioning after he was observed acting nervous and his hands were shaking.
The sentencing memorandum indicated that Fritsch agreed to smuggle the cocaine from Guyana to Spain for 10,000 Euros to help pay his girlfriend’s immigration expenses.
Even though he was a high school graduate and had two other certificates he was not working at the time. The memorandum also said he had a difficult childhood because of his abusive and alcoholic father.
Judge Irizarry yesterday told the defendant that while she considered his difficult childhood, which was corroborated by his mother in letters to the court, she had to consider the seriousness of the offence and send a message to others who may want to commit the same crime.
Fritsch was sentenced mere hours before Guyanese Shaheed Roger Khan was sentenced in the same courtroom.