Greenbelt, MD – On Dec. 7, Ghanian national, Kukua Fosu, age 49, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, Fosu swallowed plastic pellets containing at least 100 grams of heroin, then flew from Accra, Ghana to the United States, checking into a hotel in Beltsville, Maryland on March 8, 2018, for a four-night stay. While at the hotel, Fosu sold some of the pellets for cash. After Fosu did not respond to hotel staff on her scheduled check-out date, Fosu was found unresponsive in her room by Prince George’s County Police and Prince George’s County Fire Department personnel and transported to a local hospital.
Between March 12 and 22, 2018, medical staff observed two plastic bags in Fosu’s stool that contained an unknown substance. An x-ray was taken by hospital staff and four oblong objects were discovered in Fosu’s stomach and anal areas. Fosu was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she had emergency surgery to remove the objects, which were confirmed to be four pellets containing heroin. A subsequent search of Fosu’s hotel room recovered five additional pellets, which lab results confirmed also contained heroin.
Fosu faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for each of the two charges—conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HSI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who is prosecuting the case.