In a federal indictment about a drug trading ring in South Florida, eight people have been charged. Seven people are charged with selling drugs like cocaine, fentanyl, and oxycodone near schools, and one person is charged with having a weapon.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced the charges yesterday. They were the result of a targeted attempt by federal and local police.
The drug plot involved Michael Donaldson, 37, Leo Gilbert, 35, Jamare Andre Gardner, 25, Deshun Richard James, 36, Jose Albert Ruiz, 34, Kim Whitehurst, 31, and Hasani Nesbitt, 45.
They are all named in the indictment. After being caught, 37-year-old Donte Ike Gosha is being charged with having a gun while being a convicted criminal. They were caught in Miami-Dade County and appeared in court for the first time on July 30.
The official statement says that U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, along with FBI, ATF, and Miami Gardens Police officials, talked about how the plan involved many agencies. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) were in charge of the investigation, which was meant to break up large crime groups. The charges are part of a larger attempt to fight drug trafficking and other crimes that put U.S. communities at risk.
The South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force was very helpful with the mission. The HIDTA was created to stop the drug trade in the area. It is made up of federal, state, and local police. This partnership has made it possible for different law enforcement agencies to work together in a way that is necessary to deal with such a widespread crime problem. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Chattah is in charge of the case.
Until proven guilty, everyone who is charged is thought to be innocent. People who want to keep up with the case can check out the U.S. Attorney’s Office website and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s online portal for news and court records.