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Scheming in the Sunshine State
An Orlando man has admitted to his role in a major cocaine trafficking operation that spanned multiple years and jurisdictions. Ilian David Gomez Mathews, 25, of Orlando, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a felony punishable by up to 40 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Mathews, along with others, conspired to ship at least 15 kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico to Orange and Osceola counties in Florida between November 2012 and November 2015. The group’s scheme involved distributing the cocaine, with Mathews admitting to handling the majority of the shipments, typically ranging from 500 grams to two kilograms per month.
As part of the operation, tens of thousands of dollars were transported back to Puerto Rico as bulk cash to finance the cocaine supply. The investigation into the group’s activities was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Orlando Police Department.
In November 2015, federal and local law enforcement arrested five individuals, including Mathews, as part of Operation ‘Smokin’ Bones,’ an Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Task Force operation. Those arrested were later indicted in December 2015. Mathews is the first defendant to plead guilty in the case, with the remaining four defendants, including Jose Javier Nieves Torres, 45, of Kissimmee; Dennis Rodriguez De Jesus, 38, of Kissimmee; Ramon Alberto Castro Ortega, 26, of St. Cloud; and Hector Manuel Sanchez Garay, 55, of Orlando, awaiting trial.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Mathews’ sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Bishop Ravenel. The investigation into the group’s activities was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Orlando Police Department.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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