Jul.07, 2010, 4:44 PM

CAMDEN —  An Egg Harbor Township man was sentenced Wednesday to 87 months in federal prison for his role in an international drug and money laundering conspiracy which imported heroin from Colombia and distributed it in New York and New Jersey, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Fabio Garcia, 72, previously pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 before United States District Judge Jerome B. Simandle to heroin distribution, conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Garcia conspired with others from January 2004 through December 2007 to smuggle heroin from Colombia for distribution in New York City and Atlantic County.  Two Colombians with whom he conspired coordinated the smuggling of the heroin into the United States.  They would obtain bulk quantities of heroin in Colombia and elsewhere and then arrange for it to be smuggled into the United States, often concealed in machine or vehicle parts transported on planes flying into Miami International Airport. 

Unindicted co-conspirators and others would then transport the bulk quantities of heroin from Mami to stash houses in New York and New Jersey.  Once the bulk shipments of heroin reached the stash houses, co-conspirators and others would process and package the heroin for distribution to Garcia’s customers in New Jersey and New York.

At his plea hearing, Garcia admitted that once in New Jersey, the Colombians unpacked the heroin from motorcycle parts in Garcia’s garage.  The heroin was then packaged into a “shop vac,” which Garcia would drive along with the Colombians to New York, deliver the drugs and pick up money.  They then packed money in the motorcycle parts and sent it via FedEx to Miami en route to Colombia.  Garcia also admitted that the Colombians would leave drug money with him, which he hid in his safe deposit box.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Garcia to five years of  supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $120,810 to the United States.

Fabio Garcia’s daughter and co-defendant Yvette Garcia is scheduled to appear before Judge Simandle on Aug. 11, to be sentenced for her role in the drug and money laundering enterprise.