A British woman accused of bringing more than 90 pounds of cocaine through O’Hare International Airport has been sentenced to six years in prison. Kimberly Hall, 29, pleaded guilty this week to a felony charge of manufacture-delivery of cocaine before Judge Michael McHale.
Homeland security investigators intercepted Hall’s luggage in October 2024 as she attempted to make a connecting flight to Manchester, England. Prosecutors said her bags contained about $6.2 million worth of cocaine.
Hall’s father, John, maintained that his daughter was “stupid,” but not a drug smuggler, telling reporters in the United Kingdom that she was duped by two men who promised her a free vacation in Cancun if she traveled with suitcases they provided.
According to his account, the men told Hall the luggage was stuffed with $250,000 in cash per suitcase. Instead, investigators found brick after brick of cocaine. John Hall said his daughter met the men while vacationing in Portugal, where they claimed to be real estate developers, and they offered her the Mexico trip if she agreed to fly the bags home.
“She’s never been into trouble—nothing at all,” her father told the Sun. “She’s had a good upbringing and has always worked for her money. The only thing she’s guilty of is being stupid and being naive.” Before the arrest, Hall had worked as a beautician in Manchester.
Records show she is now in “joint custody” with the Illinois Department of Corrections, possibly facing deportation.
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