Rodney Dennis de Roche, a 39-year-old from Grenada, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison. District Judge Wilma A. Lewis handed down the sentence after de Roche pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute while on board a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction. After serving his prison term, de Roche will undergo two years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment.
The case stems from an incident on November 14, 2023, when the United States Coast Guard Cutter Diligence intercepted the motor vessel Jackie Boy in international waters in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. The vessel was approximately 116 nautical miles west of Fort de France, Martinique, in a known drug trafficking area and showed no signs of nationality. When ordered by the Coast Guard to stop, those on board began discarding packages tied to sandbags into the ocean. Among those on board were de Roche, Adel Munro, Arim Boniface (also known as Arkim Boniface), Dave Compton, Kevin Francis, and Darryl Pope. Approximately 32 kilograms of cocaine were retrieved from the sea by Coast Guard officers.
The master of Jackie Boy claimed Grenadian nationality for the vessel, which was confirmed by Grenadian officials who also granted a waiver of jurisdiction allowing U.S. authorities to take over the case. All six individuals on board pled guilty to charges related to cocaine trafficking.
This investigation was conducted by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF is focused on identifying and dismantling major criminal organizations through a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies.
Further information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.