BEAUMONT, Texas – A 41-year-old Ft. Lauderdale, Florida woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Shenita Denise Peterson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine before U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on Jan. 28, 2020.
According to information provided in court, on Aug. 23, 2019, Peterson was stopped by Beaumont Police for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 10 in Beaumont, Texas. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 45 individual kilograms of cocaine, which were concealed in the door panels of the vehicle. Peterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 4, 2019 and charged with drug trafficking violations.
Under federal statutes, Peterson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum penalty prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Rawls.