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Orlando Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Eladio Marroquin-Medina (31, Apopka) to 6 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Medina, the vice-president of JM2 Auto Sales, Inc. at 2636 Floral Avenue in Apopka, laundered narcotics proceeds for the Gulf Cartel, a drug trafficking organization based out of Mexico, at the car dealership. The Gulf Cartel was paid in cash for vehicles, which were then sent back to members in Texas, and also used by local Cartel members in Florida.
According to court documents, at one point during the money laundering conspiracy, from October 26, 2010 to November 16, 2010, one Cartel member brought more than $115,000 in cash into JM2 for the purchase of vehicles.
Medina’s co-defendant, Joel Torres, the president of JM2, was previously convicted by a federal jury of three counts of money laundering and eleven counts of Failure to File IRS Form 8300, a report required for cash purchases over $10,000. Torres’ sentencing is scheduled for February 25, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Apopka Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher LaForgia and Shawn Napier.
Medina’s sentence marks a significant blow to the Gulf Cartel’s operations in the United States. The case highlights the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat money laundering and drug trafficking, and to bring those responsible to justice.
The investigation and prosecution of Medina and Torres demonstrate the continued commitment of federal and local law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle organized crime groups.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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