THREE MEN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR CONSPIRING TO DISRIBUTE COCAINE THROUGH THE U.S. MAIL
Three men have been sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Omar Josue Morales-Rodriguez, 45, of Freeport, will spend the next 15 years behind bars United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Jason Coody announced Thursday. Marcos Aguilar Gonzalez, 50, of Santa Rosa Beach, and Edmar Agustin Gonzalez, 34, of Crestview, were each sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
A multi-agency investigation led by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office’s VICE/Narcotics Unit uncovered that between October 2019 and June 13, 2023, the defendants conspired to ship cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Florida panhandle through the United States Postal Service.
During the investigation, four packages were intercepted, three of which contained one kilogram of cocaine each, while the fourth held 125 grams of cocaine. One of the packages, discovered during a traffic stop by WCSO K9 Kenny, was a karaoke machine modified to conceal a kilo of cocaine. Additionally, a fifth package, sent from Walton County to Puerto Rico, contained $10,000.
Law enforcement also seized four firearms and several rounds of ammunition belonging to Morales-Rodriguez, who was previously convicted in federal court in Puerto Rico and served three years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. At sentencing Morales-Rodriguez, identified as the leader and organizer of the conspiracy, was found responsible for the shipment of 20 packages containing a total of at least 14 kilograms of cocaine via the United States Mail from Puerto Rico to Okaloosa and Walton counties.
“The duration of this investigation highlights our commitment to fighting illegal drug activity in Walton County,” said Captain Dustin Cosson of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau. “This case represents countless hours of work dedicated to holding traffickers accountable. The diligence of our narcotics investigators coupled with our strong partnerships with the DEA and the U.S. States Postal Service should send a clear message to anyone involved in similar activities.”
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
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