An American woman who was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison in the United Kingdom for cocaine smuggling has re-emerged on social media.
The influencer is now sharing her account of how she became involved in the case and spent more than a year behind bars before being released.
The woman, who posts under the handle @omgleandruh on TikTok, said she was sentenced to 11.8 years in prison after being caught in a cocaine trafficking operation, but was released after serving 19 months. In a recent post, she wrote:
“I got sentenced to 11.8 years but got out in 19 months. God is great.”
Her revelations on TikTok have piqued public interest in a case that highlights the growing role of social media in international drug trafficking networks.
Recruitment Through Social Media
In an accompanying video, the woman said she was contacted via Instagram by individuals offering her money to travel to the UK and collect a suitcase that was “already at the airport.” She said the offer initially appeared straightforward and low-risk.
“I just wanted to go to make content,” she explained, noting that her flight and expenses were paid for and that she intended to vlog and create TikTok videos during the trip.
She said the luggage was not in her name and that she did not personally check in any bags. She traveled with another woman, whom she declined to identify, and acknowledged that she had also messaged other women about potential future trips, an admission that provides a glimpse into how trafficking networks sometimes rely on peer-to-peer recruitment.
Arrest and Detention in the UK
The woman said she began to feel uneasy during the flight to the UK and struggled to answer basic questions from border officials upon arrival, including where she was staying.
She described being pulled aside at passport control and later expressing doubts to those who had arranged the trip.
Despite her hesitation, events moved quickly. According to her account, her travel companion passed through the airport, collected a suitcase, delivered it to contacts, and later met her at a hotel. Several hours later, UK police raided the hotel room and arrested both women.
She said they were arrested on a Friday and initially believed they would be released within days. Instead, she appeared before a judge the following Monday and pleaded not guilty, saying she had not touched any drugs and did not believe she had committed a crime. She was informed that she would be held pending trial, with a court date set weeks later, and was subsequently taken to prison.
A Broader Warning
While details surrounding her early release have not been made public, legal analysts note that reduced time served in UK drug cases can result from a range of factors, including plea negotiations, cooperation with authorities, sentence reviews, or deportation arrangements.
The case has drawn renewed attention online as an example of how drug trafficking organizations increasingly use social media platforms to recruit couriers, often presenting criminal activity as easy money or a legitimate opportunity.
