Michigan woman arraigned for trying to move 74 pounds of marijuana through Logan to London
BOSTON, April 1, 2024 –A Michigan woman was ordered held on $3,000 bail today after being arrested at Logan Airport Saturday for attempting to transport 74 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana to London, where the shipment would have had a street value of $370,000, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
NALEXUS PALMER, 28, of Clinton Township, was charged in East Boston BMC with trafficking marijuana between 50 and 100 pounds. Judge Debra DelVecchio set $3,000 bail and ordered Palmer to surrender her passport and stay away from Logan Airport except for legitimate travel. Palmer will return to court May 24 for a probable cause hearing.
On Saturday at about 9 p.m. Massachusetts State Troopers were called to Logan on a report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents had seized about 74 pounds of suspected marijuana from a passenger, later identified as Palmer. Palmer had flown from Detroit to Boston with further plans to travel to London. Agents seized two large suitcases containing multiple vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana. Each bag also contained an Apple AirTag.
Palmer told State Police detectives she did not know what was in the bags and that an unknown woman had dropped them off to her earlier that day. She said a man had organized the drop off but that she did not know the man’s name. She said she met the man four years ago in Atlanta and that he has provided her with money through Zelle and Cash App. She said the man was going to give her money for a car when she arrived in London.
Marijuana is illegal in the United Kingdom, where it has an illicit-market street value of about $5,000 per pound. Marijuana possession is legal in Michigan and Massachusetts.
“While laws regarding simple possession in Michigan, Massachusetts and many other states may have changed, laws regarding marijuana trafficking haven’t, and anyone thinking they can move large quantities across state or international lines is taking a major risk. This defendant discovered that very quickly over the weekend,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications