Atlanta, GA – In a brazen attempt to evade detection, Marlon Matthew Pittman, along with Vladimir Collozo-Florido and Carlos Gonzalez-Catala, smuggled cocaine from Puerto Rico to Atlanta through the U.S. Mail hidden inside children’s toys and cans of powdered milk. The trio laundered their illicit gains using a car rental company and an elaborate scheme involving hundreds of money orders.
Pittman, the last of the three defendants to be sentenced, was handed a federal prison term for his role in the cocaine smuggling and money-laundering ring. The men’s operation, which spanned multiple states, including Atlanta, South Carolina, Maryland, and New York, posed a significant threat to public safety.
The investigation, which began in 2012, was sparked by suspicious financial activity by an Atlanta-based car rental business. Federal agents noticed an unusual pattern of money order purchases, leading them to conduct a series of federally authorized wiretaps on cellular phones used by Pittman and his associates. The wiretaps revealed a complex money-laundering scheme, which involved using money orders to conceal the illicit proceeds.
According to court documents, Pittman and his associates imported large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, using cargo ships to transport the drugs to Puerto Rico. The cocaine was then mailed to Atlanta, hidden inside seemingly innocent items such as children’s toys, cans of powdered milk, or cans of beans. Pittman sold the cocaine to customers in various states, and to conceal the scheme, he transferred the proceeds back to Puerto Rico by carrying large quantities of cash on commercial flights.
Pittman’s attempt to flee the country while awaiting trial was thwarted when he was arrested trying to board a flight to Ethiopia using a fake identity. The sentencing of Pittman brings to a close a lengthy investigation into a complex money-laundering scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s office commended the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, stating that the case highlights the importance of collaboration between agencies in preventing and prosecuting organized crime. The DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other agencies worked tirelessly to disrupt the cocaine smuggling operation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The sentencing of Pittman serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of organized crime and the importance of continued vigilance in combating it. As U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak stated, “These drug smugglers endangered countless people from Puerto Rico to Atlanta and beyond. It was the money laundering scheme they created to hide their criminal enterprise that first caught the attention of investigators and led to their downfall.”
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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