How an American Airlines mechanic tried to smuggle in 25 kilograms of cocaine

In their investigation, police removed the cocaine and replaced the bricks with fake ones coated with a substance that glows when seen under a black light, the Justice Department said. While monitoring the plane, they saw Belloisi pull himself into the electronics compartment. When officers confronted Belloisi, they shone a black light on his hands and saw a glow that indicated he had moved the bricks, according to the news release.

Belloisi was also carrying a tool bag, and the lining of the jacket had “cutouts large enough to hold the bricks,” the Justice Department said.

The street value of the cocaine was more than $250,000, police said.

In court, Belloisi’s lawyers said there was no evidence he ever participated in any drug-trafficking conspiracy and that the prison sentence was too harsh, according to The Washington Post.

“The sentencing went far beyond what was necessary,” attorney David Jason Cohen told the press.

American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Belloisi’s conviction.