Final defendant in heroin trafficking conspiracy sentenced

Author: Collier County Sheriff's Office
Published: Updated:
MGN

The final defendant in a heroin trafficking conspiracy will spend 12 years in prison following his sentencing in Collier County Circuit Court on Thursday.

Circuit Judge Ramiro Manalich sentenced Javier Duarte to prison for trafficking heroin, conspiracy to traffic heroin and structuring transactions to evade reporting or registration requirements prohibited. Duarte was also ordered to pay fines totaling $1 million.

Duarte was the last of 19 defendants to be located and sentenced to prison or jail on heroin and cocaine trafficking charges as part of a far-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy in South Florida. Combined, their sentences total 144 years in prison and their fines total $12.25 million.

At a press conference Sept. 16, 2015, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk announced the arrests of 16 of the defendants in connection with the nearly yearlong investigation initiated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office into several drug trafficking organizations responsible for distributing heroin throughout South Florida. Three others, including Duarte, were later arrested on warrants.

CCSO partnered with the Office of the State Attorney 20th Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami Dade Police Department Homicide Street Violence Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations to conduct the operation. The conspiracy was not confined to any single jurisdiction. Arrests were made in Collier, Lee and Dade counties.

“The individuals arrested today are all part of drug trafficking organizations that have plagued the citizens of South Florida for decades,” Sheriff Rambosk said at the press conference. “Some have previous arrests and others have evaded arrest. Today’s arrests will severely impact their ability to do business in the South Florida area for some time. Due to the amount of narcotics moved by this organization we believe we have made South Florida a safer place by removing these individuals from the community. “

The investigation was launched in December 2014. Detectives seized or purchased just over 16 ounces of heroin with an estimated street value of $60,800. Those targeted in the operation conspired to traffic approximately 33 kilograms of heroin with an estimated street value of $2.6 million, or the equivalent of 330,000 dosages. They conspired to traffic 15 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $525,000. They conspired to traffic 1 kilogram of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $32,000. And they conspired to traffic 3,000 oxycodone pills with an estimated street value of $75,000.

In September 2015, the joint investigation led to the seizure of approximately $45,000 cash, approximately 39 ounces of heroin valued at approximately $100,000, thousands of Fentanyl tablets with an approximate total package weight of 472.49 grams, thousands of Xanax tablets with an approximate total package weight of 425.16 grams, four; 13 handguns, including four that were stolen; and two rifles and the arrest of eighteen (18) individuals for Trafficking Heroin and Trafficking Cocaine.

Duarte was located in Colorado and subsequently arrested on a Collier County warrant on Feb. 12, 2018.

Additional defendants previously convicted and sentenced for their role in the operation are:

Joshua Isaac Roth of Naples: trafficking in heroin and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Sentence: 15 years prison, $1.1 million fine.

Casimir Steven Mioduchoski of Naples, trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Sentence: 15 years in prison, $1.5 million fine.

Andy Guerra of Naples, trafficking in heroin, and conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: 10 years prison, $1 million fine.

Frank David Paez of Naples, trafficking heroin and conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: 13 years prison and $1 million fine.

Brittany Corah Parker of Naples, trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to traffick in heroin. Sentence: five years prison, $1 million fine.

Jeffery Brookbank of Naples, conspiracy to traffic heroin. Sentence: 10 years prison, $50,000 fine.

Shantell Latreece Parker of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, conspiracy to traffic I cocaine. Sentence: three years prison.

Barstow Mackelvie Morton of Naples, conspiracy to traffic heroin. Sentence: five years prison, $550,000 fine.

Alexandre Metellus of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Sentence: three years prison, $100,000 fine.

Dean Allyson Landry of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Sentence: three years prison, $550,000 fine

Yuniel Reyes of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: eight years prison, $500,000 fine.

Paul Ontano of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: seven years prison, $500,000 fine

Justin Carroll of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: five years prison, $550,000 fine

Alicia Potter of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: three years prison, $550,000 fine.

Vernon Rodriguez of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: three years prison, $100,000 fine.

Mira Baker Jr. of Miami, trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Sentence 13 years prison, $1.1 million fine.

Christopher Michael Wagenman of Naples, conspiracy to traffic in heroin. Sentence: 10 years prison, $100,000 fine.

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