Two Gainesville Men Indicted for Drug Conspiracy
Gainesville, Fla. – Cleveland Tyrone Ferguson II, 54, and Damien Charles Curtis, 46, of Gainesville, have been indicted in federal court for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, Ferguson has been separately indicted for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, while Curtis has been separately charged with distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and crack cocaine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Ferguson and Curtis appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry for their initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Trial is scheduled for July 22, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., in Gainesville before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Ferguson faces a sentence of at least 10 years’ imprisonment and the possibility of life imprisonment for each charge. Curtis faces between 5 and 40 years’ imprisonment for each charge.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force, and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
