PENSACOLA, FL – Michael Joe Green, II, 49, of Pensacola, is facing a potential life sentence after a federal jury found him guilty of large-scale drug trafficking. Green was convicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. The verdict came after a four-day trial in Pensacola.
The bust began in July 2021 when the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package originating from Houston, Texas, destined for Pensacola. Inside, they found over two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators quickly traced the packaging materials back to Green, who had allegedly directed his girlfriend to ship the drugs to his mother’s address. The investigation quickly expanded, revealing a pattern of trips to Houston throughout late 2021 and early 2022, where Green allegedly sourced massive quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine for distribution in the Pensacola area.
Law enforcement caught up with Green in February 2022 during a coordinated traffic stop in Louisiana. Green and his wife were traveling in tandem rental vehicles when both were pulled over. A search of the vehicle occupied by Green’s wife revealed approximately eight pounds of cocaine and over half a kilogram of methamphetamine pills. Simultaneously, search warrants were executed at two Escambia County residences linked to Green. Agents found loaded firearms, trace amounts of drugs, and documents connecting Green to the properties.
This wasn’t Green’s first rodeo with the law. His rap sheet is extensive and violent, including prior convictions for armed burglary, armed robbery, aggravated assault, shooting in an occupied vehicle, resisting arrest with violence, and aggravated battery with great bodily harm, for which he already served time. That history now means Green faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2023, before U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and supported by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Lake Charles (Louisiana) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jennifer H. Callahan handled the prosecution.
Federal officials say the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a broad initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. As part of the program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is urging residents to lock their car doors, noting that unlocked vehicles are a common source of firearms for criminals in the region. A simple act, they say, can make a difference.
Related Federal Cases
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- Naomi Ruth Smith, Child Sex Trafficking, M.D. Florida 2023 · Florida
- Michael Danzey, Fentanyl Cocaine Ring Leadership, New York 2023 · Florida
- Michael Brockie, Sex Offender Registration Violations, Montana 2023 · Florida
- Emily Wilson, Child Sex Trafficking Conspiracy, Minnesota 2023 · Florida
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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