James C. McBride, 41, of Mount Laurel, was sentenced to 16 years in state prison, including eight years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge John T. Kelley in Camden County. McBride pleaded guilty on Oct. 20 to first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Deputy Attorney General Julia S. Glass prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.

McBride was arrested by state troopers and agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on March 15, 2013, in a parking lot at the Cherry Hill Mall after taking delivery of a box containing three kilograms of cocaine from another alleged ring member. He was indicted on Jan. 10, 2014, along with 14 other alleged members of the ring, including the alleged leaders, Jamaican recording artist Andrew K. Davis, 36, of Kingston, Jamaica (formerly of Swedesboro, N.J.), who records under the name “Flippa Mafia,” and his brother, Kemar Davis, 24, of Hollywood, Calif. (formerly of Margate, Fla.).

The indictment was the result of “Operation Next Day Air,” a multi-agency investigation led by the New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Division of Criminal Justice. In the course of the investigation, detectives recovered more than 26 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $780,000, two handguns, and more than $500,000 in cash.

“The evidence seized in this case speaks to the huge volume of cocaine being sold in New Jersey by these drug traffickers, including McBride,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “Targeting the leaders and other key players in these major supply rings is the surest way to strike at the source of the drugs that are ruining lives and tearing apart communities in New Jersey.”

“Our longstanding partnerships with federal agencies, including the DEA, ensure that whenever we uncover a national or even transnational drug syndicate, such as this one, our reach is long enough to investigate and prosecute all those responsible,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Intelligence sharing and collaboration are the best ways to leverage our law enforcement resources and lock up the drug suppliers who are the ultimate source of New Jersey’s drug problem.”

“It takes great coordination to stop people from sending drugs and dangerous items through our postal and parcel services. The results of this investigation are a testament to the seamless cooperation between all of our partners on operation Next Day Air,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division stated, “A lengthy prison sentence such as this sends a clear message that dealing in illegal narcotics will not be tolerated. This investigation highlights that international borders will not deter law enforcement from pursuing those who seek to break the law.”

The investigation targeted the ring’s shipment of large quantities of cocaine through parcel delivery services to New Jersey for bulk distribution to other narcotics suppliers and dealers. Andrew Davis allegedly led the organization’s drug trafficking activities from various locations in Jamaica, California and New Jersey, along with his brother Kemar.

The investigation began in March 2011, when detectives and agents from the Camden High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office seized two packages from a mail facility in Marlton, N.J., allegedly destined for receipt by Andrew Davis and co-defendant Marsha G. Bernard, 33, of Cherry Hill. Each package contained four kilograms of cocaine.

In December 2012, Andrew and Kemar Davis traveled to Jamaica. Andrew remained in Jamaica, but he allegedly continued to control the ring’s activities by directing Kemar and others. Kemar returned to the U.S. and oversaw the shipment of kilogram quantities of cocaine from California to New Jersey. Bernard and other defendants allegedly received the drugs and distributed them to dealers in New Jersey, under the direction of the Davis brothers. Bernard allegedly handled the drug proceeds, sending them to Andrew Davis in Jamaica and Kemar Davis in California.

When McBride was arrested in March 2013, he was meeting co-defendant Sidonie McLeod, 29, of Cherry Hill, who allegedly delivered the three kilograms of cocaine. She also was arrested at the scene.

Andrew and Kemar Davis face pending charges including a first-degree charge of leading a narcotics trafficking network, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The indictment is pending against most of the other defendants, who face charges including first-degree conspiracy to distribute cocaine and launder money, which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years. The indictment is merely an accusation and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Acting Attorney General Hoffman thanked the following agencies that participated in Operation Next Day Air with the New Jersey State Police, DEA and Division of Criminal Justice:

• U.S. Marshals Service
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office
• Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office
• Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office
• Cherry Hill Police Department
• Los Angeles Police Department
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Camden Office

Deputy Attorney General Glass presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. Detective Sgt. Erik Hoffman of the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression South Unit was the lead case agent on this investigation.

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