Attorney General Moody Announces Shutdown of a Drug Trafficking Organization Peddling Xylazine and Fentanyl
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is set to prosecute 12 defendants of a drug trafficking organization accused of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine and amphetamine in the Orlando area. The organization trafficked large quantities of illicit narcotics from out of state, including more than 400 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “I have been warning about the presence and proliferation of the zombie drug xylazine being mixed with already deadly fentanyl for months now. This extremely dangerous and flesh-eating drug is outlawed in Florida, and we will aggressively prosecute any criminal organization trafficking this poison across judicial circuits in our state. I am grateful for our dedicated law enforcement partners for shutting down this ring and cutting off this lethal supply chain.”
The investigation began after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received information from various informants about a drug trafficking organization operating throughout the Oak Ridge area of Orange County. Members of the narcotics unit conducted multiple controlled purchases from several members of the organization of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, and cocaine. The investigation revealed that the drugs came from a supplier in New Jersey. The Florida Highway Patrol then intercepted several members of the organization in Volusia County with more than 400 grams of fentanyl and xylazine in the trunk of a vehicle.
Throughout the investigation, members of the drug trafficking organization committed several other crimes, including conspiracy to traffic fentanyl greater than 28 grams, trafficking amphetamine greater than 28 grams, money laundering, multiple sales and deliveries, conspiracies to sell and deliver.
Authorities arrested the following defendants for involvement in this criminal organization:
- Andrew Curby
- Erin Ann Donato
- Jesse Owen Harris
- Marvin Robert Hutchinson
- Warren Dennard Jackson, Jr
- Matthew Maliska Jr.
- Ryan Meng
- Alexander Pavlov
- Efrain Rosario, Jr.
- Chantal Thompson
- Scott Thompson
- Jazzmeen Ashley UnderdueMontanez
Combined, the defendants are charged with 52 felony counts ranging from money laundering and possession of cocaine to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, which carries a 25-year mandatory minimum.
Attorney General Moody’s Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Ashley Wright will prosecute the cases.
To view previous warnings about xylazine from Attorney General Moody, click here and here.
Attorney General Moody developed the Dose of Reality Florida website as a one-stop resource for Floridians to learn about the dangers of opioid misuse, how to receive support for addiction and where to drop off unused prescription drugs. To learn more about Dose of Reality Florida, click here.
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