United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MIAMI - Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement (DEA), Miami Field Division, Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Neil DeSousa, Acting U.S. (USMS) for the Southern District of Florida, Noel Manheimer, Director, Customs and Border (CBP), Office of Air and Marine, Dan Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, Vince Demasi, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, Al Lamberti, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s (BSO), and  Peter Antonacci, Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, announce that an eighteen-count indictment was filed yesterday against fourteen individuals charging them with narcotics trafficking for their participation in an international conspiracy to possess and distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Charged in the indictment are:
Taverne Pierre Louis, 42, of Haiti;
Frantz Bernard, 42, of Miramar, Florida;
Kevin Hendfield, 49, of Freeport, Bahamas; 
Joachim Pierre Louis, 28, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
James Francois, 24, of Haiti;
Jean Roland, 55, of Freeport, Bahamas;
Jose Ignacid Sigler, 48, of Miami, Florida;
Osvaldo Domingo Ceballo, 42, of Naples, Florida;
Yumar Oliva, 42, of Miami, Florida;
Beverly Sharon Miller, 52, of Miramar, Florida;
Tyrell Patrick Josey, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Terence Demetrius Nesbitt, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Ronel M. Theodore, 26, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and
Kirk Irwin Pierce, Jr., 51, of Palm Springs, California.

The indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine, from November 2010 through June 2012, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section (Count 1).  The indictment also charges a number of individual counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base on specific dates, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section (Counts 2-18).

If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and Count 8, a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison on Counts 9, 15, 17, and 18 and up to 20 years on the remaining counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA West Palm Beach Resident Office, DEA Port-au-Prince Country Office, DEA Nassau Country Office, DEA Freeport Resident Office, DEA Bogotá Country Office, DEA Riverside District Office, CBP, Boca Raton Police Department, and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Trouville thanked the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police Department, and the USMS for their assistance in this matter.  Mr. Trouville commended the prosecution efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.