Francisco Javier Arroyo, Drug Distribution, Florida 2021

A convicted murderer has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a massive Crescent City, Florida-based drug distribution ring, according to the U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Francisco Javier Arroyo (31, Crescent City) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, a charge that carries a minimum mandatory of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Arroyo was arrested in Missouri on July 15, 2021, for a homicide that he had committed on July 13, 2021. He was later convicted of second-degree murder, along with two counts of attempted second-degree murder, for the events occurring on July 13, 2021.

According to court documents, between February and July 2021, Arroyo worked to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine along with a number of conspirators, including Alejandro Alvarado (30, Crescent City), Miguel Angel Perez (29, Deland), and Jose Martinez (43, Crescent City), Jonathan Arroyo Ontiveros (25, Crescent City), Noel Bueno Jr. (27, Crescent City), and others – all of whom lived in close proximity to one another in Crescent City.

Miguel Angel Ortiz (29, Crescent City) also served as a courier to deliver multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine from Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia to the Crescent City neighborhood in which Arroyo and others operated. Arroyo delivered ounces of methamphetamine and cocaine primarily to Robert Wayne Watson (59, Seville), who operated out of his home in Seville.

Watson, in turn, redistributed ounces of methamphetamine to mid-level dealers located throughout central Florida, including George Edward Sykes (46, Bunnell), Danny Wayne Holmes (61, Kathleen), Dina Dynnette Kempher (38, Satsuma), and David John Doerr (56, Astor).

To date, 12 individuals have pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison terms in connection with this conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the DEA, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.