Husband Of Speaker Carl Heastie's Aide Smuggled Cocaine: Source

NEW YORK CITY — The husband to state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's chief of staff was arrested Monday for conspiring to import cocaine, according to a source and court records.

Orlando Dennis, 31, was busted in John F. Kennedy Airport for his connection to a suitcase with $100,000 worth of cocaine inside it, court records show.

Dennis, a Bronx truck driver married to Heastie's top aide Jevonni Brooks-Dennis, could face five years in prison if convicted of conspiring to import cocaine, according to federal prosecutors and a source.

The arrest is tied to the bust of two Swissport airport workers who were seen handling the bag when it arrived at JFK from Jamaica via Caribbean Airlines on June 7, court records show.

Investigators later uncovered texts between the two men, expressing concern the people who sent them 3 kilos of cocaine might kill them, according to court papers.

Dennis had a picture of the bag and messages from the co-conspirators when he was arrested, according to the complaint.

The truck driver admitted sending money to one of the men and that he knew the bag was involved in a crime, but denied knowing it involved drugs, records show.

The two men pleaded guilty to importing cocaine and were awaiting sentencing as of Monday, according to the complaint against Dennis.

Heastie's spokesperson Michael Whyland said the speaker knew nothing about the arrest.

"You should reach out to Mr. Dennis's attorney," Whyland said.