United States Attorney David Metcalf has announced that Constance Arrington, a 35-year-old former resident of Los Angeles, has pled guilty in a Philadelphia District Court. Arrington admitted to one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine before Judge Michael M. Baylson.
Arrington was indicted in March of last year. According to authorities, she was identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Los Angeles Police Department as part of a cocaine trafficking network operating internationally and across state lines. Evidence was presented showing Arrington's frequent short visits between Los Angeles and other U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, often flying in and out on the same or the next day.
On March 15, 2024, DEA in Philadelphia was informed about Arrington’s flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia and back on the same day. Surveillance conducted by the DEA and Philadelphia Police Department noted Arrington’s landing in Philadelphia without checked luggage, renting a car, and heading to an office complex in New Jersey. In an attempt to evade surveillance, Arrington briefly entered and left a grocery store in New Jersey.
After picking up three large boxes from the office complex, Arrington returned to Philadelphia. Her vehicle was stopped and searched by law enforcement, who found 24 individually wrapped kilograms of cocaine in the boxes placed in her rental car.
Arrington's sentencing is scheduled for July 29. She faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison, with a potential maximum of life imprisonment.
The case was pursued by the DEA’s Philadelphia division with involvement from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), supported by agencies including the DEA Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.