Okaloosa DTO Members Sentenced
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Defendants previously indicted and later convicted in multiple cases for their participation in an opioid, methamphetamine, and cocaine distribution ring operating in Okaloosa County, Fla., were sentenced last week in the Northern District of Florida. The prosecutions were the result of a large-scale multi-agency investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) over the past two years.
In the summer of 2019, federal agents seized over 16.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, over seven kilograms of fentanyl/heroin mixtures, over two kilograms of opioid pills, over a kilogram of cocaine, and almost two kilograms of marijuana from locations in the Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and Sandestin areas. Over $180,000 in drug proceeds, eight vehicles, five firearms, and over 1300 rounds of ammunition were seized and forfeited to the government.
As a result of the investigation, the following defendants were convicted and have been sentenced to the following prison terms in federal court:
• Henry Clay White IV, 43, of Fort Walton Beach—120 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and four counts possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon;
• Jonah R. Jack-Fuller, 40, of Fort Walton Beach—66 months for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
• Gesnan Mejia-Urbina, 32, of Fort Walton Beach—30 months for illegal reentry by a removed alien and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and removed alien;
• Joshua K. Bailey, 40, of Miramar Beach—300 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as an armed career criminal;
• Stephannie N. Macnew, 31, of Fort Walton Beach—120 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
• Alexander X. Evans, 34, of Fort Walton Beach—75 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
• Thomas A. Mitchell, 37, of Mary Esther—28 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
• Stephen S. Wilson, 31, of Fort Walton Beach—120 months for two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
• Barry D. Harrelson, 37, of Navarre—360 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as an armed career criminal;
• Milton C. Pruitt, 60, of Fort Walton Beach—36 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances;
• Nicholas D. Latson, 36, of Mary Esther—69 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and violation of federal supervised release;
The following defendants are scheduled for sentencing later this year:
• Ira D. Alston, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia—awaiting sentencing on September 1, 2021, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to use a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking;
• Tommy Lee Lovett, III, 37, of Milton—awaiting sentencing on September 16, 2021, for three counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and violation of federal supervised release; and
• Andre Pierre Frank, 32, of Navarre—awaiting sentencing on November 29, 2021, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
“This investigation is an outstanding example of what we can accomplish through our law enforcement partnerships,” said DEA Miami Field Division (MFD) Acting Special Agent in Charge La Verne Hibbert. “These sentences should serve as a deterrent to those who engage in criminal activities that put our communities at risk and reaffirms the Drug Enforcement Administration’s commitment to keeping our communities safe from these violent criminals.”
“This multi-year investigation and the resulting sentences demonstrate our law enforcement partners’ tireless efforts and commitment to public safety,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. “As a result of our partners’ collective efforts, a dangerous trafficking organization has been dismantled and its members have been held to account for their distribution of deadly substances.”
“This complex investigation exemplifies how leveraging law enforcement partnerships and expertise can thwart violent crime,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “Together we are removing criminal organizations from our communities who commit firearms crimes and other dangerous acts that pose a threat to public safety.”
These cases resulted from a joint investigation by the DEA Pensacola Resident Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Crestview Police Department, Gulf Breeze Police Department, and Walton County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
This operation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .
More information about this case can be found at www.flnd.uscourts.gov .
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