I am a coke dealer – hub of pol’s aide
The husband of the chief of staff to New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking charges Thursday and faces the possibility of a lengthy prison term and nearly $1 million in fines.
Orlando Dennis, 32, who is married to Heastie aide Jevonni Brooks-Dennis, admitted Friday to taking part in a botched conspiracy to import more than 500 grams of cocaine from Jamaica in December 2019. He also admitted to tax evasion for the unreported income he took in from the drugs.
“As he stated in today’s plea, Orlando takes full acceptance and sole responsibility for his actions,” Dennis’ lawyer, Jason Goldman, told the Daily News.
Dennis faces up to 45 years in prison and could also be hit with fines nearing $1 million.
Dennis engaged the help of two baggage handlers at JFK, who were supposed to snag a bag coming from Jamaica that contained three bricks of cocaine. But the duo messed up the pickup and no one ended up intercepting the bag, which was found by authorities.
The baggage handlers, Ryan Smalling and William Brown, were arrested separately.
Brooks-Dennis was not charged in the case, but the feds did implicate her in illegal activity, claiming that she and Dennis deposited more than $15,000 of unreported income into a bank account in 2019.
The couple lived the high life off the ill-gotten gains, dropping tens of thousands of dollars on luxury clothing, prosecutors said. Brooks-Dennis also spent $9,000 on hair extensions in a single year, the feds said.
In a statement to The News Thursday, she denied any knowledge of her husband’s activities.
Dennis is set to be sentenced May 6.