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Heroin Trafficking

Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Trafficking More Than 100 Grams of Heroin

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution Office today secured the conviction and sentencing of Jorge Rivera, of Hillsborough County, for conspiracy and trafficking in heroin.
“Today my Office of Statewide Prosecution secured another vital conviction of a monster tainting our streets with deadly heroin,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I want to thank the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their great investigative work and my statewide prosecutors Joseph Ravelo and Joe Spataro for the minimum mandatory sentence they secured in this case.”

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation that uncovered Rivera had obtained multiple ounces of heroin from two main suppliers. Throughout the investigation, authorities used electronic surveillance in the form of wiretaps to determine when Rivera would meet with sources. In October 2015, HCSO saw Rivera meet with suppliers and apprehended the defendant with more than 100 grams of heroin in possession. Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution previously tried and convicted both suppliers of conspiracy to traffic heroin, 28 grams or more, in July 2017.

The Hillsborough County jury found Rivera guilty of conspiracy to traffic heroin, 28 grams or more, and trafficking in heroin, 28 grams or more. The Honorable Samantha Ward, Circuit Judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit, sentenced Rivera to 25 years as a minimum mandatory sentence in the Department of Corrections.

Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Joseph Ravelo and Joe Spataro prosecuted the case.

For more information on the suppliers’ previous conviction, click here.

Drug Dealer Found Guilty of Trafficking Thousands of Dollars’ Worth of Heroin

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office today announced the conviction of Hasan Nguyen, 25, for trafficking thousands of dollars’ worth of deadly heroin.

“We are in the midst of a national opioid crisis claiming lives in Florida, and we will not tolerate anyone trafficking heroin or any other deadly opioids in our state,” said Attorney General Bondi. “I want to thank the DEA for their great investigative work and my statewide prosecutors Mary Sammon and David Gillespie for the strong prison sentence they secured in this case.”

The investigation into Nguyen began in 2015 and covered crimes in Orange and Seminole counties. Investigators captured audio and video recordings of Nguyen selling trafficking amounts of heroin on three separate occasions to undercover officers. Nguyen preferred to sell amounts of heroin more than 30-50 grams so that substantial profits could be made. Investigators paid Nguyen more than $2,000 in undercover drug deals through the course of the investigation. In total, authorities seized more than 45 grams of heroin with a street value of approximately $10,000.

An Orange County jury found Nguyen guilty of four counts, including trafficking in heroin 20 grams or more, conspiracy to traffic heroin 28 grams or more, trafficking in heroin 14 grams or more and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. The Honorable Leticia Marques sentenced Nguyen to a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Mary Sammon and David Gillespie prosecuted the case.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution prosecutes multi-circuit organized crime while working regularly with federal and state counterparts to coordinate efforts against criminal activity. The office provides proactive partnership to law enforcement and is not limited to geographic or judicial boundaries.