Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), Chief Joe DeGiulio of the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Chief Sean Scheller of the Lantana Police Department announced the results of their continuing efforts to combat the distribution of fentanyl crisis in South Florida.
Since March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from law enforcement partners, has indicted five defendants with distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Their charges follow another defendant’s guilty plea to the same charge in February 2024. Pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death is an offense that upon conviction is punishable by a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life.
According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. The public is encouraged to be cautious.
“Drug traffickers who distribute fentanyl are handing out a death sentence to drug users and those who unknowingly come in contact with this dangerous and deadly synthetic drug,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to target those who fuel the opioid epidemic, to include the Chinese companies and employees that manufacture and introduce the raw chemicals at the start of the fentanyl supply chain, the associates and members of the drug cartels that manufacture fentanyl, and, as we have seen with today’s announcement, the South Florida suppliers who handout the fatal fentanyl overdoses. We commend our partner agencies for their skill and resourcefulness, as we work collectively to prosecute the distributors of the fentanyl poison and protect the public.”
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our country. Whether in a fake pill, in powdered form, or laced in other illicit drugs, the effects of illicit fentanyl are devastating on our Florida communities as drug distributors put profits over the lives of people,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “DEA will continue our collaborative efforts, working with our local, state, and federal partners, to target the entire illicit fentanyl supply chain and hold those who threaten the safety and health of our communities responsible for their actions.”
“I commend all of our law enforcement partners in this investigation for their dedication and perseverance. The Boynton Beach Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to combatting the distribution of dangerous narcotics. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for the distribution of these drugs are brought to justice,” said BBPD Chief Joseph DeGiulio.
“The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department appreciates the working partnership with our federal law enforcement partners to combat these dangerous drugs that are harming residents of our community. These efforts will hopefully result in reducing the impact of fentanyl and keep our community safe,” said Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department.
The following cases exemplify the continued commitment between federal, state, and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute drug dealers who distribute deadly fentanyl.
U.S. v. Keyon Lewis, Case No. 23-CR-14030
On Feb. 20, 2024, Keyon Lewis, 27, of Indian River County, Florida pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the death of another person. According to the plea documents filed with the Court, on Nov. 5, 2021, Lewis sold fentanyl to a man in a parking lot in Vero Beach. The next day, the man’s wife found him dead on the kitchen floor of their residence.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Fort Pierce. IRCSO and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Roberto Delgado is handling asset forfeiture.
U.S. v. Samantha Hana Yi and Darnell Julio Mendez,
Case No. 24-cr-80041
On March 28, 2024, Samantha Yi, a/k/a “China,” 32 and Darnell Julio Mendez, 31, of Lake Worth, Florida, were indicted for distributing fentanyl causing death, following the fatal ingestion of fentanyl by a 10-month old baby in Boynton Beach, Florida. According to allegations in the court record, Yi and Mendez sold the fentanyl to the baby’s mother, who was a drug addict, the day before the baby’s death. Undercover officers also subsequently purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. When the couple was arrested at their home, they were found in possession of fourteen firearms. Both Yi and Mendez were also charged in the indictment with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Yi and Mendez are detained pending trial, scheduled for Sept. 9, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg. A plea hearing is scheduled for Yi on June 11, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart. BBPD, PBSO, and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.
U.S. v. Alfonso Guerrero, Case No. 24-cr-14013
On April 11, 2024, Alfonso Guerrero, 37, of Vero Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, resulting in death, distribution of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, resulting in death, and possession of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl with intent to distribute, following the death of a 37-year-old male in Vero Beach on May 16, 2023. According to allegations in the court record, Guerrero delivered a white powdery substance to the victim hours before he died. Toxicology results determined that the victim died from a combination of dimethylpentylone, pentylone, and fentanyl. Two days after the victims’ death, Guerrero sold more fentanyl to an undercover officer.
Guerrero is detained pending trial. A status conference is scheduled for June 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg. A trial date has not been scheduled in this matter. IRCSO and DEA investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
U.S. v. Gito St Fort, Case No 24-cr-80063
On May 16, 2024, Gito St Fort, 30, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with distributing fentanyl on Dec. 24, 2023, to a young man who was visiting his parents in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. According to allegations in the court record, the victim took an Uber from his parent’s house to St Fort’s apartment in the early morning hours of December 24, 2023, to buy heroin capsules and cocaine. Tragically, the victim was found dead by his parents the next morning, on Christmas Day along with leftover capsules that tested positive for fentanyl. A toxicology report confirmed fatal levels of fentanyl in the victim’s blood.
St Fort is detained pending trial, scheduled for July 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, PBSO and DEA investigated the case. FBI Miami provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ralston is prosecuting it.
U.S. v. Anthony Raul Del Valle, Case No. 24-cr-80062
Today, Anthony Raul Del Valle, 29, of Lantana, Florida, was charged in a superseding indictment with distributing acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl causing the death of two sisters in Lantana, Florida. According to the criminal complaint, Del Valle sold counterfeit pills to the victims on April 8, 2024. According to the superseding indictment, the counterfeit pills contained acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl, quantities of which were found in the victims’ toxicology findings by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office. Del Valle has also been charged with possessing additional fentanyl which he intended to distribute on April 10, 2024, along with a firearm he possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Del Valle is detained pending trial, which is scheduled for June 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. The Lantana Police Department and DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Shea Darsch is prosecuting it.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners thank the Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit and the Office of State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl for the 19th Judicial Circuit for their invaluable assistance with fentanyl cases.
Anyone with information regarding the distribution of fentanyl is encouraged to contact 911 or call the DEA at 1-877-792-2873.
A number of these prosecutions are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
An indictment and complaint contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under the corresponding case numbers.
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