A 71-year-old Huntsville man who prosecutors say used a hidden compartment inside a commercial tractor-trailer to transport cocaine across the country has been sentenced to federal prison.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that James Walker was sentenced to 30 months in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Walker, a Huntsville resident, was sentenced in Buffalo, New York, by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Federal prosecutors said the conspiracy happened between February and July 25, 2018, and involved transporting cocaine to several locations across the country, including Buffalo. Authorities said Walker worked with multiple co-conspirators, including Adrian Goudelock and Eric Young, to coordinate shipments and cash exchanges connected to the drug operation.
According to court records, Walker owned a commercial tractor-trailer equipped with a concealed compartment designed to hide cocaine and large amounts of cash. Prosecutors said he hired Young to drive the truck to Western New York on multiple occasions while coordinating delivery directions through encrypted messages.
Investigators said Walker directed Young in June 2018 to make three separate 20-kilogram cocaine deliveries to Cleveland, Buffalo, and New York. During the investigation, law enforcement agents observed co-conspirators carrying duffle bags containing cocaine and later tracked Walker’s tractor-trailer into the Western District of New York.
On July 25, 2018, authorities observed an exchange of duffle bags in a parking lot in West Seneca, New York. Prosecutors said one bag contained 52 packages of cash wrapped and labeled in the way Walker had allegedly described to Young, while another bag removed from the tractor-trailer contained 17 kilograms of cocaine.
Law enforcement later discovered additional cash hidden inside the sleeper compartment of the truck cab. Investigators recovered three plastic-wrapped bundles totaling $145,380, which prosecutors said represented payment for a previous cocaine shipment. In total, authorities seized $664,960 from the tractor-trailer.
Federal officials said the investigation involved multiple federal, state, and local agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, New York State Police, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler prosecuted the case.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
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