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Jamaican on Florida ganja, money laundering charge
Gainsville Haedlines Examiner
Monday, April 19, 2010
Fort Myers, FLorida — FLORIDA Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Special Agents arrested two more individuals Friday who authorities say were involved in a marijuana trafficking and money laundering operation, according to a report in the Gainsville Headlines Exmaniner.
Alexis Anthony Foster, 26, of Orlando, and Kesha Vashanda Jennings, 35, of Bartow, were charged with racketeering, conspiracy to traffic more than 25 pounds of marijuana and money laundering.
Their arrests followed two conducted Wednesday when Carlton Wayne Smith, 43, of Rancho Dominguez, California. and Christopher Lee Pinnock, 36, of Avon Park, Florida were apprehended for their role in the operation.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Smith, a Jamaican national, had previously been deported from the United States but had illegally re-entered. </span>
Police say Smith used several aliases while conducting his drug trafficking and money laundering activities. Agents say the scheme involved using multiple methods of transmitting drug proceeds, including money wire services.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Funds were transmitted in US dollars via wire to Jamaica where a member of the organisation there <span style="font-style: italic">would then receive it in Jamaican currency to thwart detection</span>.</span>
FDLE began its investigation in October 2008 <span style="font-weight: bold">after an Avon Park bank contacted investigators regarding numerous cash deposits Pinnock had made in Smith’s account over a one-year period, totaling more than US$700,000</span>. The deposits were made in banks located in Highlands and Polk counties.
Further investigation revealed that the accounts were being used by Pinnock and Smith to funnel payments for shipments of marijuana. Pinnock, Foster, and Jennings are believed to have worked with Smith to receive and distribute marijuana in several cities in Florida and other states.
Gainsville Haedlines Examiner
Monday, April 19, 2010
Fort Myers, FLorida — FLORIDA Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Special Agents arrested two more individuals Friday who authorities say were involved in a marijuana trafficking and money laundering operation, according to a report in the Gainsville Headlines Exmaniner.
Alexis Anthony Foster, 26, of Orlando, and Kesha Vashanda Jennings, 35, of Bartow, were charged with racketeering, conspiracy to traffic more than 25 pounds of marijuana and money laundering.
Their arrests followed two conducted Wednesday when Carlton Wayne Smith, 43, of Rancho Dominguez, California. and Christopher Lee Pinnock, 36, of Avon Park, Florida were apprehended for their role in the operation.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Smith, a Jamaican national, had previously been deported from the United States but had illegally re-entered. </span>
Police say Smith used several aliases while conducting his drug trafficking and money laundering activities. Agents say the scheme involved using multiple methods of transmitting drug proceeds, including money wire services.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Funds were transmitted in US dollars via wire to Jamaica where a member of the organisation there <span style="font-style: italic">would then receive it in Jamaican currency to thwart detection</span>.</span>
FDLE began its investigation in October 2008 <span style="font-weight: bold">after an Avon Park bank contacted investigators regarding numerous cash deposits Pinnock had made in Smith’s account over a one-year period, totaling more than US$700,000</span>. The deposits were made in banks located in Highlands and Polk counties.
Further investigation revealed that the accounts were being used by Pinnock and Smith to funnel payments for shipments of marijuana. Pinnock, Foster, and Jennings are believed to have worked with Smith to receive and distribute marijuana in several cities in Florida and other states.