Devin Lashawn Jefferson, II, Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Furanyl Fentanyl, Florida 2018

ORLANDO, FL – In a shocking turn of events, a federal jury has found Devin Lashawn Jefferson, II, 22, of Apopka, guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute furanyl fentanyl.

The verdict, delivered today, marks a significant blow to the defendant, who now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 2018.

Jefferson’s troubles began in March 2018, when he was indicted for his alleged crimes. However, the evidence against him was mounting long before that.

According to testimony presented at trial, between February and December 2017, Jefferson sent tens of thousands of dollars to recipients in China. But what he didn’t know was that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in New York were keeping a close eye on him.

In April 2017, agents intercepted a package from China that was addressed to an Apopka residence associated with Jefferson. The package contained a staggering 1 kilogram of furanyl fentanyl. On February 27, 2018, agents conducted a controlled delivery of the package, and Jefferson retrieved it from the residence.

However, when agents attempted to stop Jefferson, he fled the scene in his car at a high rate of speed through a school zone, eventually evading capture. He was apprehended approximately two weeks later.

This case was a result of a collaborative effort between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Orlando Police Department.

The prosecution team consisted of Assistant United States Attorneys Embry J. Kidd and Dana E. Hill, who worked tirelessly to bring Jefferson to justice.

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