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A New York-based former American Airlines mechanic who was facing financial troubles before being convicted of conspiracy to traffic cocaine has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison in a plot where he hid bricks of the drug under a passenger plane cockpit, according to federal authorities.
Customs agents caught Paul Belloisi, a 56-year-old Smithtown resident, red-handed in 2020 after they discovered more than 25 pounds of the drug and swapped it out with a fake parcel covered in a substance that would later glow under black light, according to federal investigators. Court records show he had filed for bankruptcy three years earlier.
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Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement that federal agents later staked out the plane and watched Belloisi head into the compartment where the fake drugs were hidden with an empty tool bag and a jacket with cutouts large enough to conceal the bricks.
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS USE SECURITY PRIVILEGES TO SMUGGLE MILLIONS IN DRUG MONEY OUT OF US: FEDERAL PROSECUTORS
Former American Airlines mechanic Paul Belloisi received a nine-year sentence in federal prison for his role in trafficking cocaine into the United States at John F. Kennedy International Airport.(Justice Department)
They shined the black light on his gloves and saw the tell-tale glow.
Federal authorities dubbed him a “corrupt inside man” and said the sentence should serve as a warning to other workers who intend to abuse their positions.
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“Paul Belloisi put his personal gain before the safety of the aviation industry by abusing his position to participate in a scheme to import over 25 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., repeatedly storing smuggled narcotics within sensitive areas of passenger airplanes,” HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren McCormack said in a statement. “His demise should send a message to anyone attempting to exploit the aviation industry: HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are committed to maintain the safety of the U.S. domestic and international transportation infrastructure.”
POKER PLAYER ROBBED OF $250K IN GUNPOINT STICKUP OUTSIDE NYC AIRPORT HOTEL
Homeland Security Investigations says the holes in the lining of Belloisi’s jacket were made to help him hide cocaine.(Justice Department)
American Airlines, which has not been accused of wrongdoing in the smuggling case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the federal criminal complaint, a flight arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport from Jamaica on Feb. 4, 2020.
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A Boeing 777 of American Airlines arrives from Milan at JFK International Airport in New York on Feb. 7, 2024.(Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Two Customs and Border Protection agents inspected the plane and found 10 bricks of cocaine hidden in a blanket in a compartment under the cockpit.
They swapped it out with fake bricks and a transponder that would alert them to movement in the compartment. HSI agents also assisted in visual surveillance from a distance.
WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN O’HARE AIRPORT BAGGAGE MACHINERY DIED OF SUICIDE: POLICE
Federal authorities said they found Belloisi with this empty tool bag after he entered a jet compartment where they recovered more than 25 pounds of cocaine.(Justice Department)
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Hours went by with no movement, but about 20 minutes before the plane’s scheduled departure, Belloisi showed up and entered the compartment, according to the complaint. Five seconds later, he tripped the transponder.
Judge Dora Irizarry handed down three sentences of 108 months to run concurrently for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and importing cocaine.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez received a rousing applause at Friday night’s men’s college basketball game between Providence and Seton Hall.
The cheers came a day after the alleged gunman who shot and killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor earlier this week was found dead by local authorities in Salem, New Hampshire.
Smiley and Perez came under national scrutiny in the days after the shooting because their investigation included the detention of an innocent man who was mistaken as the suspect and questionable transparency with the public throughout the manhunt.
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The investigation lasted six days before authorities located the suspected shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot in a Salem storage unit Thursday.
The surrounding community spent days waiting for answers, with residents on edge after the school sent students home early after the shooting.
NOEM ANNOUNCES PAUSE ON IMMIGRANT VISA LOTTERY THAT ALLOWED ALLEGED BROWN SHOOTER TO ENTER US
Detectives initially questioned a person of interest at a hotel outside town but ruled him out as a suspect, according to authorities.
Police spent days canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance video, which turned up images of a person of interest — a masked, stocky figure who stood around 5 feet, 8 inches tall and walked with an odd gait.
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Neves Valente, 48, was a Portuguese national and studied physics at Brown from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001, according to Brown President Christina Paxson. But he went on a leave of absence and ultimately withdrew in 2003.
Neves Valente’s motive has not been determined and is still under investigation.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
BOSTON (WHDH) – Police are investigating a stabbing in Boston on Sunday afternoon that left a victim with life-threatening injuries.
Officers responding to a reported stabbing in the area of 71 Summer St. around 3:30 p.m. found a victim who was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that are considered life-threatening, according to Boston police.
No arrests have been made.
No additional information was immediately available.
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This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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DETROIT — The Pittsburgh Steelers have made rookie running back Kaleb Johnson a surprise inactive against the Detroit Lions. They have just three running backs on the roster, and some other players who could end up playing at running back if injuries arise is Connor Heyward or Jonnu Smith.
Meanwhile, the Steelers will still be without wide receiver Roman Wilson, who has been made inactive the last three weeks after the additions of Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the room. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Scotty Miller’s ability to be a backup punt returner is one of the key reasons he is active over Wilson.
As for injuries, there is nothing unexpected there. Outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig were ruled out. Jack Sawyer, a rookie out of Ohio State, will make his first career start.
Cornerback James Pierre will miss his second straight game with a calf injury. Asante Samuel Jr. will fill in for him, and he nabbed a pick against the Dolphins a week ago. The Steelers elevated Daryl Porter Jr. to give them some depth.
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Guard Isaac Seumalo is sidelined with a triceps strain. With him out, the Steelers will turn to Spencer Anderson to start there.
Quarterback Will Howard will continue to serve as the emergency third quarterback.
