United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Constance Arrington, 35, formerly of Los Angeles, admitted her guilt on Monday in a Philadelphia court. Arrington pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson to a charge of possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Arrington faced charges following a March indictment last year. According to previous court hearings, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Los Angeles, along with the Los Angeles Police Department, identified Arrington as a part of a widespread cocaine trafficking network spanning international and interstate operations. Both agencies tipped off the DEA's Philadelphia Field Division about Arrington's repeated brief trips between Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other U.S. cities, often returning to Los Angeles within a day on cross-country flights.
On March 15, 2024, DEA Philadelphia was made aware of Arrington's travel from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, with a same-day return to Los Angeles. During a surveillance operation by DEA Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department, officers observed Arrington landing in Philadelphia without checked luggage, renting a car, and heading to a New Jersey office complex. While en route, she attempted to shake off the tail by briefly stopping at a supermarket in New Jersey before quickly leaving.
At the office complex, Arrington picked up three large packages and loaded them into her rental car's trunk. She then headed back to Philadelphia via the Ben Franklin Bridge. Upon entering Philadelphia, law enforcement stopped her vehicle and found 24 individually wrapped kilos of cocaine in the boxes she collected.
Arrington's sentencing is set for July 29, and she faces a sentence ranging from a mandatory minimum of ten years to a potential life imprisonment.
DEA Philadelphia led the investigation under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, with support from DEA Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni is handling the prosecution.
