Smuggling 24 Kilos of Cocaine Through Parsippany Gets Man 10 Years in Prison

A Spring Valley, New York man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to transporting 24 kilograms of cocaine through New Jersey.

Beningo Gomez-Morales, 24, won’t have parole eligibility for the first 3.5 years of his sentence, Acting Attorney General John Hoffman announced.

Gomez-Morales pleaded guilty on May 14 to a charge of first degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

On September 7, 2013, New Jersey State Troopers stopped a Subaru Tribeca on Rt. 287 in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township after it nearly struck a limousine when merging onto the roadway. The vehicle was being watched by the state police drug trafficking unit after surveillance information revealed the car may be used to transport narcotics through the state, Hoffman said.

After Gomez-Morales and his girlfriend, Eridania Batista DeLeon, 31, also a passenger, gave conflicting stories to the police, a search of the vehicle was conducted.

Police found a hidden compartment in the rear of the vehicle, which contained 24 kilograms of packaged cocaine. Gomez-Morales admitted he was paid $15,000 to transport the drugs from California to New York, Hoffman said.

DeLeon was admitted into pre-trial intervention and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. She pleaded guilty to third degree hindering apprehension.