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I have to admit this is quite a story. It is long but very interesting...She won the lottery a few times too...
Local woman is crime kingpin, cops say
By Amy Pavuk, Orlando Sentinel 11:38 a.m. EDT, October 26, 2013
Charmaine Roman lived in a Dr. Phillips condo, drove a Land Rover and helped raise her young grandson — nothing likely to rouse an outsider's suspicion.
But law-enforcement officers say Roman's lifestyle was funded not by her concert-promotion business but by a violent Jamaican drug-trafficking ring that brought thousands of pounds of marijuana into Central Florida and a host of violent crimes.
Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation agents who have been investigating Roman for years say the 42-year-old was in charge of the group's finances and laundered money at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas.
Undercover detectives infiltrated the group, agents monitored members' steps, and after exhausting "every means of investigation you can think of," MBI built a case against 50 suspects.
It wasn't until earlier this month that agents dismantled the group, charging Roman and others with crimes ranging from racketeering to trafficking in marijuana.
In an industry historically run by men, Roman is a rare example of a woman suspected of playing a leading role in organized crime.
But now, as gangs move into more-sophisticated criminal activity, there is no reason why women can't take on leadership roles, said Roberto Hugh Potter, interim chair of the University of Central Florida's criminal-justice department.
"They probably have the technical and financial skills to do this level of work," Potter said.
Roman declined a request to be interviewed at the jail, and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Where's money?
Even though Roman and the Jamaican group have been on law enforcement's radar since 2006, many unanswered questions remain.
Such as what happened to the group's money. And Roman's true identity.
MBI Director Larry Zwieg, in announcing "Operation Warehouse 13" earlier this month, said the Jamaican drug ring laundered more than $3 million.
Throughout their investigation, agents were able to track some of Roman's money, case records show.
She deposited more than $3.3 million at the Wynn Casino from 2010 to 2012 but reported considerably less in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service for her personal and corporate returns.
An avid gambler outside of Vegas, too, Roman hadredeemed 44 winning lottery tickets since October 2009, winning nearly $187,000, a Florida Lottery spokeswoman told the Orlando Sentinel.
One of those winning scratch-off lottery tickets was the motive behind a violent home invasion in 2009, when Roman was living in Clermont with her daughters.
Lake County prosecutors said two men forced their way into Roman's home at gunpoint, tied up her and her daughters and demanded the $15,000 she won in the lottery.
Roman's biggest lottery prize came just months ago, when she won $100,000 on Aug. 19.
But much of that money is apparently gone. Roman testified during her Oct. 11 bond hearing she had about $30,000 remaining from the prize.
During that hearing, Roman said she promotes concerts through her business, "Sure Thing Investments."
The concert-promotions business is a fairly common front for drug dealers in Central Florida, Zwieg told the Orlando Sentinel. State records show Sure Thing Investments has been inactive for five years.
Roman told authorities she promoted concerts at Firestone Live in downtown Orlando, but the club's records show Roman sponsored one event in the past year. She was paid with cash, and there were no records documenting what she earned, case records show.
Zwieg said Roman's job was running the "business side" of the marijuana ring. She "made sure all the parts were coming together," he said.
Roman has told authorities she's from Jamaica but has lived in the United States for more than 20 years.
Even though she has been linked to marijuana seizures since 1997, it does not appear Roman has been convicted of, or served prison time for, any crimes in Florida.
Hard to track
Potter, the UCF professor, said it is difficult to gauge how many women may be leading crime rings in America.
"Because we don't have a way … to keep tabs on who does what in a criminal organization, until an action is brought, we really don't know what the level of influence of women is on organized criminal groups," Potter said.
But Florida has been linked to several high-profile drug cases where women played a leading role.
In August, notorious Mexican drug smuggler Sandra Ávila Beltrán, also known as "Queen of the Pacific," was deported to Mexico after serving a federal prison term stemming from charges out of Florida. Authorities said she helped build the Sinaloa cartel in the 1990s.
Griselda Blanco, also known as "The Godmother," ran a violent cocaine empire during Miami's "cocaine cowboys" era. She served prison time in Florida for murder and drug trafficking and was deported to Colombia in 2004. She was shot to death in 2012.
Zwieg said Roman and two other ringleaders were the heads of the Central Florida operation, which has been linked to violent crimes including homicide and home invasions. The group got its marijuana from suppliers in the western United States.
In late September, documents show, agents watched as Roman coordinated a 400-pound shipment of marijuana. Several people were waiting for the delivery at a building on Fairvilla Road, including a forklift operator.
It wasn't until the freight container was dropped off that Roman pulled into the parking lot. That's when detectives moved in and made their arrest.
Agents found multiple cellphones and a suspected marijuana ledger in Roman's car, records show.
When they searched her condo, agents found a handgun, ammunition, a digital scale with marijuana residue, four Florida identification cards, multiple passports, Social Security cards, credit cards and birth certificates. Some of the IDs showed Roman's face but were in the name of Antoinette Lewis. Authorities say she has used multiple aliases.
Roman has remained in the Orange County Jail since her Sept. 30 arrest. Her attorney wanted a judge to reduce or set bond, but state prosecutors objected.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Roman, which means federal authorities will take custody of her after the criminal proceedings, or if she serves jail time, after her release.
State prosecutors said Roman is in the country illegally, her true identity has not been confirmed and she is too great a flight risk.
During the recent bond hearing, Roman admitted having a passport under the name of "Antoinette Lewis."
With that incriminating confession, Circuit Judge Tim Shea said Roman is too great a flight risk to be allowed out of jail.
"People generally don't have more than one identity," the judge said.
Local woman is crime kingpin, cops say
By Amy Pavuk, Orlando Sentinel 11:38 a.m. EDT, October 26, 2013
Charmaine Roman lived in a Dr. Phillips condo, drove a Land Rover and helped raise her young grandson — nothing likely to rouse an outsider's suspicion.
But law-enforcement officers say Roman's lifestyle was funded not by her concert-promotion business but by a violent Jamaican drug-trafficking ring that brought thousands of pounds of marijuana into Central Florida and a host of violent crimes.
Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation agents who have been investigating Roman for years say the 42-year-old was in charge of the group's finances and laundered money at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas.
Undercover detectives infiltrated the group, agents monitored members' steps, and after exhausting "every means of investigation you can think of," MBI built a case against 50 suspects.
It wasn't until earlier this month that agents dismantled the group, charging Roman and others with crimes ranging from racketeering to trafficking in marijuana.
In an industry historically run by men, Roman is a rare example of a woman suspected of playing a leading role in organized crime.
But now, as gangs move into more-sophisticated criminal activity, there is no reason why women can't take on leadership roles, said Roberto Hugh Potter, interim chair of the University of Central Florida's criminal-justice department.
"They probably have the technical and financial skills to do this level of work," Potter said.
Roman declined a request to be interviewed at the jail, and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Where's money?
Even though Roman and the Jamaican group have been on law enforcement's radar since 2006, many unanswered questions remain.
Such as what happened to the group's money. And Roman's true identity.
MBI Director Larry Zwieg, in announcing "Operation Warehouse 13" earlier this month, said the Jamaican drug ring laundered more than $3 million.
Throughout their investigation, agents were able to track some of Roman's money, case records show.
She deposited more than $3.3 million at the Wynn Casino from 2010 to 2012 but reported considerably less in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service for her personal and corporate returns.
An avid gambler outside of Vegas, too, Roman hadredeemed 44 winning lottery tickets since October 2009, winning nearly $187,000, a Florida Lottery spokeswoman told the Orlando Sentinel.
One of those winning scratch-off lottery tickets was the motive behind a violent home invasion in 2009, when Roman was living in Clermont with her daughters.
Lake County prosecutors said two men forced their way into Roman's home at gunpoint, tied up her and her daughters and demanded the $15,000 she won in the lottery.
Roman's biggest lottery prize came just months ago, when she won $100,000 on Aug. 19.
But much of that money is apparently gone. Roman testified during her Oct. 11 bond hearing she had about $30,000 remaining from the prize.
During that hearing, Roman said she promotes concerts through her business, "Sure Thing Investments."
The concert-promotions business is a fairly common front for drug dealers in Central Florida, Zwieg told the Orlando Sentinel. State records show Sure Thing Investments has been inactive for five years.
Roman told authorities she promoted concerts at Firestone Live in downtown Orlando, but the club's records show Roman sponsored one event in the past year. She was paid with cash, and there were no records documenting what she earned, case records show.
Zwieg said Roman's job was running the "business side" of the marijuana ring. She "made sure all the parts were coming together," he said.
Roman has told authorities she's from Jamaica but has lived in the United States for more than 20 years.
Even though she has been linked to marijuana seizures since 1997, it does not appear Roman has been convicted of, or served prison time for, any crimes in Florida.
Hard to track
Potter, the UCF professor, said it is difficult to gauge how many women may be leading crime rings in America.
"Because we don't have a way … to keep tabs on who does what in a criminal organization, until an action is brought, we really don't know what the level of influence of women is on organized criminal groups," Potter said.
But Florida has been linked to several high-profile drug cases where women played a leading role.
In August, notorious Mexican drug smuggler Sandra Ávila Beltrán, also known as "Queen of the Pacific," was deported to Mexico after serving a federal prison term stemming from charges out of Florida. Authorities said she helped build the Sinaloa cartel in the 1990s.
Griselda Blanco, also known as "The Godmother," ran a violent cocaine empire during Miami's "cocaine cowboys" era. She served prison time in Florida for murder and drug trafficking and was deported to Colombia in 2004. She was shot to death in 2012.
Zwieg said Roman and two other ringleaders were the heads of the Central Florida operation, which has been linked to violent crimes including homicide and home invasions. The group got its marijuana from suppliers in the western United States.
In late September, documents show, agents watched as Roman coordinated a 400-pound shipment of marijuana. Several people were waiting for the delivery at a building on Fairvilla Road, including a forklift operator.
It wasn't until the freight container was dropped off that Roman pulled into the parking lot. That's when detectives moved in and made their arrest.
Agents found multiple cellphones and a suspected marijuana ledger in Roman's car, records show.
When they searched her condo, agents found a handgun, ammunition, a digital scale with marijuana residue, four Florida identification cards, multiple passports, Social Security cards, credit cards and birth certificates. Some of the IDs showed Roman's face but were in the name of Antoinette Lewis. Authorities say she has used multiple aliases.
Roman has remained in the Orange County Jail since her Sept. 30 arrest. Her attorney wanted a judge to reduce or set bond, but state prosecutors objected.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Roman, which means federal authorities will take custody of her after the criminal proceedings, or if she serves jail time, after her release.
State prosecutors said Roman is in the country illegally, her true identity has not been confirmed and she is too great a flight risk.
During the recent bond hearing, Roman admitted having a passport under the name of "Antoinette Lewis."
With that incriminating confession, Circuit Judge Tim Shea said Roman is too great a flight risk to be allowed out of jail.
"People generally don't have more than one identity," the judge said.
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