Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division (“DEA”), Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Joyce Dawley, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (“FDLE”), Bruce Colton, State Attorney, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Sean Baldwin, Chief, Fort Pierce Police Department, J.R. “Jack” Parker, Sheriff, Brevard Sheriff’s Office, Al Lamberti, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and Ken J. Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie Sheriff’s Office, announced that defendant Frank Pierre was convicted today by a Fort Pierce jury of drug trafficking charges.

More specifically, after a two-day trial, the jury convicted Pierre of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five (5) kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 7, 2010, before U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore. At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten (10) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment on the drug conspiracy charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years up to a maximum of forty (40) years imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute charge.

In November of 2008, ATF, DEA, FDLE, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Lucie State Attorney’s Office began an investigation of Todd Jackson Sr.’s drug distribution network operating in the Treasure Coast and Brevard County. During the course of this 8-month investigation, law enforcement learned that this network was part of a larger cocaine trafficking organization based out of Broward and Palm Beach Counties that was importing multiple kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride from Haiti and the Bahamas for distribution in Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Brevard Counties. According to trial evidence, defendant Pierre was part of this drug trafficking organization.

In all, the investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 243 kilograms of cocaine powder, 80.5 grams of crack cocaine, 477 grams of marijuana, 618 grams of ecstasy, 12 firearms, $114,002 in U.S. currency and jewelry with an estimated retail value of approximately $443,855 dollars. Previously, on September 18, 2009, Todd Jackson, Sr. was sentenced to 327 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the DEA, ATF, FDLE, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Lucie County State Attorney’s Office, the Fort Pierce Police Department, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broward State Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.