Four that were convicted are Apopkans, including ringleader
Staff Reports
Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dudzinski Edwinn Poole of Apopka and 16 co-conspirators – including three from Apopka – to federal prison terms ranging from six years up to life imprisonment in a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy.
Poole was the leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was responsible for distributing thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl with sources of supply or distributors in California, multiple other states and China. The organization also laundered millions of dollars in drug money.
Poole, 50, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (two counts), drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. He was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months.
Two of Poole’s co-conspirators, Michael Andre Chester, 50, of Apopka and George Nelvin King, Jr., 47, of Altamonte Springs, were convicted after a 10-day jury trial in July 2024. The rest of the defendants entered guilty pleas.
Of the17 sentenced, only Chester was sentenced to life in prison.
Other Apopkans convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy were Felisha Denise Williams, 35, and Rodrieka Lashay Manning, 27. Williams was sentenced to 12 years and seven months; Manning, 11 years and three months.
“This multi-state drug trafficking organization used a vast network to move methamphetamine and fentanyl to poison our communities,” Deanne L. Reuter, the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Miami field division special agent in charge, said in a news release. “I’m proud of the way our agents and numerous law enforcement partners worked together to bring this criminal element to justice.”
According to court records and the evidence presented at trial, between 2017 and 2023, the DTO operated largely out of Lake County, where Poole received hundreds of shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl from sources of supply in California. The drugs were transported or shipped via commercial planes and through the mail. DEA seized more than 250 pounds of drugs (mostly methamphetamine and fentanyl) during the course of the investigation.
The defendants played various roles in the DTO, such as suppliers, distributors, couriers and courier coordinators. Flight records during a two-year period show more than 400 flights between California and Orlando among the various conspirators. The DTO also used couriers to transport large amounts of methamphetamine from Orlando to Virginia via train.
In addition to transporting drugs on commercial flights and trains, Poole and his associates had multiple stash houses and received hundreds of mailed packages of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California and other drugs, including fentanyl, from China. Investigators identified almost 400 packages that were shipped from California as part of this conspiracy from 2019 to 2023.
The members of this DTO also conspired with one another to engage in money laundering. To do this, Poole developed an entertainment business that he used to promote concerts with famous rap artists.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Secret Service; and multiple state and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Callaos prosecuted the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
“Greed is the biggest motivation these criminal organizations know,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS – Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office in a news release. “Motivated by money, they will try to place themselves above the law to the detriment of our communities. Fortunately, our agents and staff are extremely skilled at following the money to ensure these perpetrators face justice. We are proud to work alongside our partner agencies to put a stop to these dangerous drug trafficking organizations and ensure they are held accountable.”
The Apopka Chief is an award-winning weekly newspaper serving the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923.
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