Jenkins Guilty

A federal jury has convicted Benjamin Jenkins, 36, of Mims, of distributing and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug-trafficking crime, and using a telephone in committing the drug offense.

According to United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, Jenkins faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2017. Jenkins was indicted on November 22, 2016.

The conviction stems from a transaction that took place on October 11, 2015, in which Jenkins sold 28 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant for $1,300 in the parking lot of a Titusville Wal-Mart. At the time of the transaction, Jenkins was a Titusville High School football coach and Brevard County teacher’s aide.

Testimony and evidence presented at trial revealed that while Jenkins sat in his car and counted the money for the cocaine, he had a Springfield Arms .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his lap. The transaction was arranged over Jenkins’s cellphone.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Titusville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr. is prosecuting the case.

The conviction of Benjamin Jenkins serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat drug trafficking and related crimes in Florida. The use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is a serious offense that carries significant penalties.

The case against Jenkins is a prime example of the cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes that threaten the safety and well-being of communities. The sentencing of Jenkins will take place on May 15, 2017, and will determine the length of his prison term.

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