An ex-American Airlines mechanic was given a prison sentence for transporting cocaine in a hidden compartment beneath the cockpit: authorities.

A former American Airlines mechanic from New York, who was struggling financially before being convicted of drug trafficking, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for hiding bricks of cocaine under a passenger plane cockpit, according to federal authorities.

In 2020, customs agents caught Paul Belloisi, a 56-year-old Smithtown resident, with more than 25 pounds of the drug. They replaced it with a fake parcel covered in a substance that would glow under black light, according to federal investigators. Court records show he had filed for bankruptcy three years earlier.

According to Homeland Security Investigations, federal agents observed Belloisi enter the compartment containing the fake drugs, while carrying an empty tool bag and a jacket with cutouts large enough to conceal the bricks.

They shined the black light on his gloves and saw the tell-tale glow.

Officials labeled him a "corrupt insider" and stated that his sentence should serve as a cautionary tale to other employees who may misuse their power.

"HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren McCormack stated that Paul Belloisi put his personal gain ahead of the safety of the aviation industry by abusing his position to participate in a scheme to import over 25 pounds of cocaine into the U.S., repeatedly storing smuggled narcotics within sensitive areas of passenger airplanes. His demise should serve as a warning to anyone attempting to exploit the aviation industry: HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are committed to maintaining the safety of the U.S. domestic and international transportation infrastructure."

American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment regarding the smuggling case, as they have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

On February 4, 2020, a flight landed at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport from Jamaica, as stated in the federal criminal complaint.

In the cockpit of the plane, a Customs and Border Protection agent discovered 10 bricks of cocaine concealed in a blanket inside a compartment.

HSI agents assisted in visual surveillance from a distance while the fake bricks and transponder were swapped out in the compartment to alert them to movement.

With no movement for hours, Belloisi arrived 20 minutes before the scheduled departure of the plane, as per the complaint. Immediately after entering the compartment, he triggered the transponder.

Dora Irizarry, the judge, sentenced three defendants to 108 months in prison for conspiring to distribute, import, and import cocaine.