31-Year-Old Broward County Man is Sentenced to 235 Months' Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF);, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Chage, Federal Burau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office;, Randy Donnelson, Director for Miami Air & Marine Branch U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Rick L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); Frank J. Kitzerow, Chief, Jupiter Police Department; Joyce Dawley, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE); Bruce Colton, St. Lucie County State Attorney, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit; Sean Baldwin, Chief, Fort Pierce Police Department; J.R. “Jack” Parker, Sheriff, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office; Al Lamberti, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office;, and Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, announced that on June 7, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced defendant Jean Claudy Polanco, 31, of Margate, to 235 months' imprisonment for his participation in a multi-kilogram cocaine smuggling and distribution conspiracy.

In November 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, which was alleged to be operating in the Treasure Coast and Brevard County. During the course of that 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. In April of 2009, law enforcement in Palm Beach County, Florida began an investigation into the importation of significant amounts of narcotics from the Bahamas. These investigations revealed that this organization was importing multiple kilograms of cocaine from Haiti and the Bahamas for distribution in Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Brevard Counties. During the course of this investigation, agents executed state and federal search warrants at various locations in St. Lucie, Brevard, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.

The operation 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 cash, and jewelry valued at approximately $443,855. Polanco pled guilty on February 19, 2010, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA, ATF, ICE’s Office of Investigations in West Palm Beach, RAC WPB, FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine, 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, the Broward State Attorney’s Office, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and Jupiter Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien.