Jury Finds Hayward Sports Bar Owner Guilty In Cocaine Smuggling Sting At Bay Area Airports
HAYWARD (CBS SF) -- A jury found a Hayward sports bar owner and former reality TV show star guilty after he was caught in a sting operation, helping to smuggle cocaine through Bay Area airports.
Prosecutors alleged that 42-year-old Lemack Bellot facilitated shipments of cocaine at San Francisco International Airport in May 2018 and November 2018.
In both instances, Bellot was dealing with an "confidential source" working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), posing as an Atlanta dealer. Neither shipment actually contained any cocaine.
The DEA launched its investigation after learning Bellot was allegedly paying airport employees to allow the drugs past security.
According to the DEA, Bellot and the undercover source met at the Fogline Sports Bar and Grill, owned by Bellot. During their encounters, Bellot confided he had smuggled dozens of kilograms, or "bricks" of cocaine through Bay Area airports but stopped because his contact was arrested. He said was resuming because he found another airport employee who would help him at Oakland International Airport and SFO. Bellot would use that employee, Kendrick "Kew" Askew to get both of the fake shipments past security.
A grand jury indicted Bellot in February 2019 for and attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and attempting to aid and abet the possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. After a week-long trial, a jury convicted Bellot on both counts, on Monday.
A sentencing date has not been set. Bellot faces up to life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
In 2016 Bellot was on the TV show "Bar Resue" on Spike TV.