Cornwall man sentenced to life in U.S. prison for drug smuggling

Cornwall man sentenced to life in U.S. prison for drug smuggling

CORNWALL, Ontario – One of two Cornwall men caught in a massive marijuana smuggling operation that saw the largest number of individuals extradited to the U.S. from Canada was sentenced to life behind bars.

Mickey Woods was sentenced Thursday in a Syracuse court. The sentence also covers a charge of operating a continuing criminal enterprise.

Woods and his co-defendant, Gaetan Dinelle, smuggled dope from Cornwall from 2005 to 2008. The court heard that Woods procured large quantities of pot in Canada and arranged with Dinelle to have it smuggled across the border using couriers who then delivered it to buyers throughout the eastern U.S., including the Boston area.

Authorities suggested during the trial the operation smuggled 11 tons of high-grade pot worth about $47 million.

Dinelle won’t be sentenced until next Thursday.

A U.S. newspaper reported last summer police seized nearly $2 million in cash and 400 kg of marijuana from couriers involved in the trafficking enterprise.

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