BUFFALO, N.Y. - Three more individuals have been charged with attempting to smuggle marijuana from Canada into the U.S. in the same day.
U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced Tuesday that Cindy Huang, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Charles Shu, 25, of Buffalo, N.Y., and Isaac Danso Ofori, 26, of Columbus, O.H., were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession and importation of a controlled substance, and smuggling goods into the United States on November 4.
The first incident occurred when Huang and Chu tried to enter the U.S. from Canada at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry. They were passengers in a vehicle that included five other people. A Customs and Border Protection officer found two edible packages with a red marijuana leaf marking in the trunk area of the vehicle, after a second inspection, border patrol officers found a plastic bag containing marijuana in the glove department.
In the second incident, Danso Ofori attempted to enter the U.S. from Canada at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry where he was one of three passengers. He stated that he did not have any drugs, weapons, or prohibited items on him. During a vehicle search, an officer found a plastic bag inside of a light brown colored book bag in the rear of the vehicle that contained a green leafy substance. Ofori stated that he purchased the green leafy substance at a shop called "Market Dispensary" in Toronto. The green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana.
Huang, Chu, and Ofori made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and have since been released. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
