Flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money through JFK Airport: officials

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Multiple flight attendants were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly transporting millions of dollars of drug money through JFK International Airport, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced. 

The four suspects allegedly operated an unlicensed money-transporting business where the money smuggled came from illegal criminal activity, court documents show. 

“As alleged, these flight attendants smuggled millions of dollars of drug money and law enforcement funds that they thought was drug money from the United States to the Dominican Republic over many years by abusing their privileges as airline employees," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “Today’s charges should serve as a reminder to those who break the law by helping drug traffickers move their money that crime doesn’t pay.”

The suspects are: 

• Charlie Hernandez, 42, of New Jersey 
• Sarah Calerios Pujols, 42, of the Bronx 
• Emmanuel Torres, 34, of Brooklyn
• And Jarol Fabio, 35, of Manhattan

According to documents, the flight attendants smuggled $8 million from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic in an operation that is believed to have started sometime in 2015, according to records.

The defendants are charged with one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmission business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of entering an airport or aircraft area in violation of security requirements, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 

Additionally, Pujols and Hernandez were charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. 

Pujols was also charged with one count of bulk cash smuggling. The maximum charge for this crime is a five-year sentence.