United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Tallahassee, Fla. – Mario Swanston, 45, of Miami; Santana Wyvonne Harris, 41, of Panama City, Fla.; Shannon Jarbar Clayton, 46, of Panama City; Elizabeth Gray, 37, of Panama City; and Shontell Fedd, 49, of Panama City, each were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker in federal court after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Swanston and Harris pleaded guilty to an additional count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This successful prosecution was made possible by the whole-of-government commitment under the Homeland Security Task Force to eradicate criminal organizations operating within the United States, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and advocate for substantial punishments to be imposed against the offenders who have victimized our communities. Our citizens deserve to live on safe, drug-free streets, and my office will fight hard every day to fulfill that promise.”

According to court records, between November 21, 2023, and April 25, 2024, Mario Swanston conspired with his co-defendants, and others, to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine and marijuana. As part of the conspiracy, Swanston obtained cocaine and marijuana from California and Georgia. Swanston utilized drug couriers—namely Harris, Gray, and Fedd -to store and transport the drugs on his behalf. Swanston was responsible for over 1,700 grams of cocaine and over 550 pounds of marijuana.

U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker sentenced Swanston to five years’ imprisonment and imposed sentences of federal supervised release on Harris (4 years), Clayton (3 years), Gray (3 years), and Fedd (2 years).

“I’m proud of our agents and Homeland Security Task Force partners for stopping this drug trafficking organization,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “Cocaine is commonly trafficked in North Florida, and our agents will remain vigilant in the fight to keep this out of our communities.”

The conviction and sentences were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, Panama City Police Department, Panama City Beach Police Department, and Springfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.