Mechanic from Hicksville convicted of smuggling cocaine at Kennedy Airport

A Hicksville man was convicted Tuesday in Brooklyn on federal drug charges for using his position as an American Airlines mechanic at Kennedy Airport to smuggle more than 25 pounds of cocaine by hiding it in a compartment underneath a jet cockpit.

Following a weeklong trial, a jury convicted Paul Belloisi, 55, of conspiring to possess cocaine, conspiring to import cocaine and importing cocaine.

He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Dora Irizarry.

Prosecutors described an elaborate sting operation involving fake bricks of cocaine, glowing substances and radio transmitters — which culminated with Belloisi being "caught red-handed trying to facilitate the smuggling of a large stash of cocaine hidden in an electronics compartment of the aircraft,” said Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement.

“This corrupt airline mechanic not only abused his position of trust and undermined the security of a vital border crossing in our district," Peace said, "but was also willing to potentially endanger the safety of travelers as well as the community.”

Belloisi’s Manhattan-based attorney, David Jason Cohen, said, "We respectfully disagree with the jury's verdict. I believe it goes against the weight of evidence … I'll discuss all options with the family at a later time."

A previous attorney, David Besso of Bay Shore, told Newsday in 2020 that Belloisi was engaged in “fixing” the plane’s air conditioning in the compartment housing the electrical system where, unknown to him, someone had hidden cocaine.

But federal authorities described Belloisi as the “inside man” in the smuggling operation.

Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they discovered the cocaine, which had an estimated street value of between $285,000 and $320,000, during a routine inspection on Feb. 4, 2020 of American Airlines Flight 1349, which had arrived at Kennedy from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Ten bricks of cocaine, weighing 25½ pounds, were found concealed behind an insulation blanket in the external mechanical compartment on the underside of the plane's cockpit, prosecutors said.

Investigators replaced the cocaine with fake bricks that had been sprayed with a substance that glows when illuminated by a special light, officials said. Investigators also placed a transponder next to the bricks that emitted a radio signal if the area was disturbed, records said.

Federal agents surveilled the aircraft before it was scheduled to take off for its next flight.

They later observed Belloisi arrive at the plane and pull himself inside the electronics compartment. Moments later, the transponder “tripped,” sending out a signal that the brick area had been disturbed, court papers said.

When Belloisi exited the compartment, agents found his tool bag empty, and his jacket with cutouts in the lining large enough to conceal the cocaine bricks, prosecutors said. His gloves also “glowed” under the special light, indicating he had handled the fake bricks, prosecutors said.

“Not only did Belloisi violate the law by conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States, but he used his trusted position as an American Airlines mechanic at JFK International Airport to facilitate his criminal activity,” said Ivan Arvelo, special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations New York field office, in a statement. “Cocaine addiction is a serious problem throughout the country due in large part to the traffickers who place profit above the safety of others.”

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.