Five men are headed for long prison terms after a federal jury convicted them in a multi-kilo cocaine trafficking conspiracy stretching from Miami to Orlando. Jimmy Remy Fernetus (30, Miami), Edson Gelin (40, Orlando), Raymond Mike Ayap (41, Orlando), Kissinger St. Fleur (36, Orlando), and Gerardson Norgaisse (33, Orlando) were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and over 280 grams of crack cocaine — a case built on street deals, interstate smuggling, and armed protection.
The operation centered on two houses south of downtown Orlando, where Fernetus and co-conspirators moved bulk cocaine and crack. Gelin was intercepted on the Florida Turnpike in June 2016, hauling two kilograms of cocaine toward the city. Both Fernetus and Gelin were armed with handguns during drug transactions — a fact that landed them each with two additional counts of firearm possession in furtherance of drug trafficking, stacking years onto their potential sentences.
Ayap, a citizen of Haiti, now faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, plus the near-certainty of deportation if ever released. The others, burdened by prior felony drug convictions, face 20 years to life. Fernetus and Gelin will serve their firearm charges consecutively — a brutal penalty under federal sentencing law.
During raids on the three Orlando stash houses tied to the ring, federal agents seized multiple firearms, kilos of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and thousands of dollars in cash — physical proof of a well-oiled distribution network. Gelin later shifted operations to a third house, expanding the reach of the Miami-linked cartel’s grip on Central Florida’s drug trade.
The conspiracy reached as far as the Miami River, where the 160-foot cargo ship Lady Philomena was seized on March 25, 2017, unloading 47 kilograms of cocaine believed destined in part for the Orlando crew. The defendants were counting on that shipment — a lifeline from Haitian suppliers — but federal eyes were already watching.
Eric Jean Gilles (37, Miami), Ronny Joseph (33, Orlando), and Cristobal Sotomayor-Cebollero (32, Orlando) have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing. The investigation, led by the DEA and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation with support from local police and ATF, continues to unravel a wider web. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Jackson Boggs Jr. and Shawn Napier. Sentencing for the five convicted men is set for May 15, 2018.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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