A 47-year-old man in the US has been sentenced to over 17 years in prison for smuggling heroin into America from India.
Eric Shawn Bradley of Columbia, South Carolina was sentenced to 17.5 years imprisonment followed by eight years of supervised release, US Attorney Bill Nettles said.
Bradley had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin, money laundering and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. However, the quantity of heroin smuggled is not known.
He was one of 10 defendants charged in April, 2014 after an investigation found that a group of individuals in the Columbia area were obtaining heroin from various sources outside of South Carolina and then distributing it in the Midlands.
Evidence indicated that Bradley and others were involved in the 2011 and 2012 importation of heroin into the US from India.
Several packages destined for Columbia and containing heroin were intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation.
Evidence further showed that the co-defendants later obtained heroin in New York and transported it back to Columbia where it was distributed.
Bradley had prior state convictions for grand larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, possession of heroin, strong arm robbery, and possession of cocaine.
