Following a five-day jury trial, Ivan Van Beverhoudt, 45, from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has been found guilty of importing and possessing with intent to distribute over 16 kilograms of cocaine.
"Van Beverhoudt used his trusted position as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to circumvent the law and smuggle dangerous drugs into our community," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. "Thanks to the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Van Beverhoudt is now being held accountable and faces time in federal prison."
According to information presented by Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie during the trial: On January 10, 2020, Van Beverhoudt boarded a commercial flight from St. Thomas to Atlanta carrying 16 bricks of cocaine in two carry-on bags. He bypassed TSA screening by traveling in his official capacity with his CBP-issued firearm. Upon arrival at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, while en route to Baltimore, Maryland, a narcotics K-9 officer detected the drugs in his luggage.
The jury convicted Van Beverhoudt on charges including conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines when determining his sentence.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Bret R. Hobson are leading the prosecution, with contributions from Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel B. Milam.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages parents and children to learn about drug dangers at www.justthinktwice.gov.
For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The website for the Northern District of Georgia's U.S. Attorney’s Office is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.