TAMPA, FL – Virgil Cooper, 42, and Angelo Jordan, 49, both hailing from Ohio, will spend significant portions of their lives behind bars after a federal jury found them guilty of a brazen attempt to import cocaine directly from Colombia. U.S. District Judge William F. Jung handed down the sentences today: 19 years and 7 months for Cooper, and 15 years and 8 months for Jordan. Both men were convicted on May 1, 2025, following a four-day trial that laid bare their ambitious, and ultimately failed, drug operation.
The scheme, as detailed in court testimony, originated with Cooper seeking to cut out the middleman. While still serving a sentence from a prior felony in a halfway house, Cooper reached out to a former cellmate – now deported to Colombia – with a proposition: source multiple kilograms of cocaine directly, bypassing typical distribution networks and securing a discounted rate. The ex-cellmate, wisely playing ball with law enforcement, introduced Cooper to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source. This set the stage for an elaborate sting operation.
In February 2023, an undercover meeting was arranged in Tampa, showcasing 10 kilograms of cocaine to Cooper’s representative. Because of his halfway house restrictions, Cooper dispatched Angelo Jordan to handle the initial viewing, a grueling 17-hour drive from Ohio. Jordan, apparently eager to participate, made the trek, inspecting the product before returning north. This initial contact, captured on video (Government Trial Exhibit 6), didn’t immediately seal the deal, but it kept the lines of communication open.
After Cooper’s release from the halfway house, the conspiracy escalated. On August 3, 2023, both Cooper and Jordan traveled to Tampa, this time with $120,000 in cash – a down payment for a planned 30-kilogram shipment. They believed they were finalizing the deal, but were met instead by federal agents. The exchange, also documented on video (Government Trial Exhibit 26), ended in their immediate arrest. The cash and the dream of a lucrative drug operation evaporated in an instant.
The DEA, with crucial assistance from the Tampa Police Department, spearheaded the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney David Rehfuss and Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr. successfully prosecuted the case, presenting compelling evidence that sealed the fate of both defendants. The operation was conducted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency initiative designed to dismantle high-level criminal organizations.
This case underscores the lengths to which drug traffickers will go, and the dedication of law enforcement to intercept these operations. As the Justice Department notes, OCDETF focuses on identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these criminal networks, and the Cooper-Jordan operation serves as a stark reminder of the risks – and consequences – associated with large-scale drug trafficking. More information on the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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