A 65-year-old woman who smuggled five kilos of cocaine into JFK Airport from Peru — hidden in strawberry-marmalade containers — was the recipient of some holiday-season compassion in Brooklyn federal court Thursday.
Mercedes Gamarra de Lopez, who has served more than 3¹/₂ years in prison, was released due to her poor health.
De Lopez was stopped in 2011 by Customs officials who found eight “Gloria’s Marmelada” pouches containing about $150,000 worth of cocaine in her duffel bag.
She faced a guideline minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
But prosecutors and the judge felt she had done enough time given the fact she needs dialysis three times a week, is nearly blind and needs a kidney transplant.
Brooklyn federal Judge Edward Korman said he would release de Lopez because “of her extraordinarily poor health and because she has already served 40 months which is already particularly difficult as someone in her condition.”