Pubdate: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 Source: Ogdensburg Journal/Advance News (NY) Copyright: 2005 Johnson Newspaper Corp. Contact: http://www.ogd.com/letter.htm Website: http://www.ogd.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/689 Author: Elizabeth Graham Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/border+patrol WOMAN GETS 18 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUGS SYRACUSE - The Vancouver, British Columbia, woman found in possession of $2 million in ecstasy and marijuana last October in Morristown was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison. Hai Thi Nguyen, 49, of 148 East Parkway, was sentenced June 28 in Syracuse Federal Court to 215 months (approximately 18 years) in a Bureau of Prisons Facility in California, according to Dominic Tibbetts, Syracuse Federal Court deputy clerk. Nguyen and Heather M. Clement-Shenandoah, 31, of 1688 Charles Avenue, St. Paul, Minn., were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute drugs in violation of federal law in October. Clement-Shenandoah was sentenced June 28 to 24 months (two years), Tibbetts said. Police said the pair were traveling together in separate vehicles when they entered a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at the intersection of state Highways 12 and 37 on Oct. 3. A search of the vehicles found 60,000 pills of Methylene-dioxymethaphetamine (MDMA, or ecstasy) and approximately 16 pounds of marijuana. Clement-Shenandoah told U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents when questioned that she was transporting the drugs on behalf of others associated with organized crime in Toronto, and that Nguyen was escorting her, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Nguyen was defended by a court appointed attorney, Ken Moynihan. She was sentenced to 215 months for conspiracy to posses with the intent to distribute, aid and abet the possession of marijuana and MDMA. She was also sentenced to 6 months for unlawful entry to the U.S., to be served concurrently. On release, she will face five years of probation, said Tibbetts. Clement-Shenandoah was defended by Lisa Peebles of the Federal Public Defenders Office, sentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to posses with the intent to distribute, aid and abet the possession of marijuana and MDMA, Tibbetts said, and will also face five years probation on release. Both appeared in Syracuse Federal Court before Justice Norman A. Mordue and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl G. Eurenius. Calls to Eurenius were not returned. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin