“She is only guilty of stupidity”: dad defends 28-year-old British woman who faces a 60-year sentence in an American prison for drug smuggling

Kimberly Hall, a 28-year-old British beautician from Middlesbrough, faces up to 60 years in prison in the US after being arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine worth £3.5 million. Despite the severity of the allegations, Hall’s father John, 59, insists his daughter is “guilty of nothing but stupidity” and claims she was forced to carry drugs.

Arrested with millions of cocaine at O’Hare airport

As reported SunKimberly Hall was detained by Department of Homeland Security officers while waiting for a connecting flight to Manchester after traveling to Cancun, Mexico. Investigators discovered 43 kilograms of cocaine in two suitcases, leading to Hall’s arrest on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. The amount of cocaine detected puts Hall’s crime in the highest sentencing category, a Class X felony, which carries a sentence of 15 to 60 years in prison.

Lured by unpaid leave: alleged coercion

According to her father, John Hall, two men she met on a previous trip to Portugal offered Kimberly a free vacation to Cancun. Men posing as property developers allegedly contacted her after she returned to the UK and invited her to Mexico, promising an all-expenses-paid trip. Hall accepted the offer, not knowing that her dream vacation would turn into a nightmare.

John claims that in Cancun, Kimberly was forced to carry bags filled with cocaine, believing she was carrying money. “They took her phone and threatened her family, that’s why she did it,” John said. He added: “She said, ‘You don’t understand what they threatened me with,’ and that’s all we can get from her.” He also emphasized that his daughter had never been in trouble with the law before and had always worked hard for her money.

Desperation and fear: a family’s fight for justice

Kimberly’s family is currently fighting a desperate fight to free her and protect her well-being as she awaits trial in a Chicago prison. John Hall has revealed they have spent £28,000 on a local lawyer and are deeply concerned about their daughter’s physical and mental well-being. “She’s terrified,” John said, describing how his daughter has been crying since her arrest. He believes Kimberly was manipulated into carrying the drugs, saying: “She was forced to take the stuff back without a shadow of a doubt.”

Despite the family’s efforts, the legal battle could take over a year as her trial is not scheduled to begin until late 2025. In the meantime, her family anxiously waits and hopes for a positive outcome.

A case reflecting the “Peru Two” scandal.

According to Daily Mail.The Kimberly Hall case is similar to other high-profile drug smuggling cases involving British citizens abroad. The case of Peru Two from 2013 quickly comes to mind, where two young British women were caught trying to smuggle cocaine from Peru. Like Hall, Peru Two claimed they were forced to carry drugs, a common sentiment in such cases.

Kimberly’s family hopes her story will warn others about the dangers of trusting strangers and engaging in dubious offers. “She never got into trouble, nothing at all. The only thing she is guilty of is stupidity and naivety,” John concluded. She is in custody in Chicago, where her next court appearance is scheduled for November 13.