TAVARES, FL – Jack Protzman, 74, of Tavares, Florida, is headed back to federal prison after being sentenced to two years for conspiring to traffic more than 130 pounds of marijuana. U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis handed down the sentence Friday, along with an order to forfeit $18,440 seized as proceeds from the illegal operation. Another $32,800 was already administratively forfeited.
The bust, the result of a long-running investigation, revealed Protzman wasn’t a small-time dealer. Court documents show he boasted to an undercover informant about his ability to supply large quantities of marijuana, including 50-pound increments cultivated out of state. He even discussed using a specially-outfitted vehicle with a concealed compartment to move the drugs across state lines. Protzman wasn’t just talking; he delivered. In November 2019, agents seized 110 pounds of marijuana during one of his transactions.
Protzman’s operation involved trafficking THC oil cartridges as well, purchasing them in batches of 2,000 at a time, according to investigators. He sold hundreds of these cartridges and additional pounds of marijuana to the informant before the operation was shut down. The feds didn’t just catch him with the product, they hit his wallet – seizing a hefty $32,800 in cash linked to the drug trade.
This isn’t Protzman’s first rodeo with federal law enforcement. Back in 2004, he received a nearly six-year sentence – 5 years and 11 months – for conspiracy to import over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States. Clearly, a prior lengthy prison term did little to deter him from returning to the drug trade.
The investigation was a coordinated effort by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase prosecuted the case, with forfeiture handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran. The operation fell under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency initiative targeting high-level criminal organizations.
OCDETF, according to the Department of Justice, employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant criminal enterprises threatening the nation. This case serves as a reminder that repeat offenders involved in large-scale drug trafficking will face serious federal consequences, even in their twilight years.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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