Jamhila Hodge, 25, of St. Thomas, was sentenced Friday to 37 months for a guilty plea to charges of the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and the production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe reported Tuesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Raymond L. Finch on St. Croix sentenced Hodge to 33 months in prison for the cocaine charge and 37 months for the pornography. Because the terms are to be served concurrently – at the same time – instead of consecutively, the total length of the sentence is 37 months.
According to the news release from Sharpe’s office, Hodge was arrested on Feb. 27, 2012, at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, along with and Calieb Webster, 31, of St. Thomas, as they were about to board a flight to New York after Customs and Border Protection discovered approximately 36 kilograms of cocaine in their luggage. She and Webster were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
As part of a plea agreement, on July 26 Hodge pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge . Webster similarly pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing. He is currently free on bond.
Hodge was also charged in a separate federal indictment with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. An investigation by agents from Homeland Security Investigations revealed that she used a cell phone to record a seven-minute video of an adult male engaging in sexual intercourse with a female minor. Hodge pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to production of child pornography, Sharpe said.
At Hodge’s sentencing, the United States recommended that Hodge receive a total sentence of 108 months in prison. Finch rejected the recommendation and sentenced Hodge to a total of 37 months to be followed by a five-year term of federally supervised release. The court also ordered Hodge to pay a special assessment of $100. Hodge is to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on April 4.
Sharpe commended Homeland Security Investigations for its work on the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry prosecuted the drug trafficking case. Assistant U. S. Attorney Everard E. Potter prosecuted the child pornography case.
