Upscale properties, mad money and other assets of convicted drug dealer seized
Livern Barrett Gleaner Writer
Not content with $230 million in property and other assets they have already seized from a convicted drug dealer and one of his cronies, Jamaican investigators have set their sights on a further $500 million in assets traced to the drug gang. They have also identified a number of his cronies in Jamaica who are to be slapped with money-laundering charges.
Dean Drummond, who is serving time in a United States (US) prison, is believed to have made billions in the illegal drugs trade, and local investigators are determined to seize every cent of this ill-gotten gain.
Investigators say a large chunk of the half a billion dollars in newly discovered assets is in pricey real estate scattered across Montego Bay, St James, which has been traced to Drummond and seven of his trusted lieutenants.
With attorneys from the Financial Investigations Division (FID) getting ready to go after the assets, one investigator told The Sunday Gleaner that one of Drummond’s associates has signalled, through his attorney, that he will surrender $84 million in real estate holdings.
“His lawyer has agreed to surrender those properties once the necessary applications are filed before the courts,” said the investigator.
This development comes as the FID, whose investigators have “painstakingly” combed through the financial records of Drummond and his associates since 2010, nears the end of its wide-ranging probe.
FID boss, Justin Felice, revealed, during an exclusive interview with The Sunday Gleaner last week, that when the probe has been completed, several persons will be arrested for money laundering and other financial crimes and that the agency will be going to court to have all the assets forfeited to the State.
“The investigations are well advanced for both civil recovery and money laundering, and persons will be criminally charged,” Felice insisted.
Felice said the probe took FID investigators to the US states of Texas and Florida, where Drummond and his lieutenants were questioned.
“We spoke to the main person, and he has given us some useful information, which we are going to act upon shortly,” revealed Felice.
Convicted in 2004
Drummond, who has been described by investigators as the leader of the now-defunct Danger Zone Promotions syndicate based in Montego Bay, was convicted in Florida of drug-trafficking charges in 2004 and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
The US Appeal Court upheld his conviction in 2010, paving the way for the FID to go after nearly $1 billion in assets believed to be owned by members of the syndicate.
By 2011, lawyers for the FID filed their first forfeiture application in the Supreme Court, and six months later, Drummond, through his attorneys, agreed to forfeit his main house, a $63 million two-storey mansion with six bedrooms, located in Ironshore, St James.
Since the start of this year, the FID has obtained two more forfeiture orders from the Supreme Court. The first, which was granted in January, allowed the agency to take possession of five properties and two firearms valued at $55 million.
As a result of the second forfeiture order made in February, the FID said Drummond agreed to surrender six properties valued at $110 million.
“In total so far, Drummond and one of his associates have given up a total of $230 million in property and assets,” one investigator revealed.
Principal director at the FID, Albert Stephens, said this should serve as a warning to drug dealers who believe they can live comfortably from the proceeds of their criminal lifestyle.
“It’s no longer safe for you to be involved in drug dealings and purchase all this real estate, then you come out of it to live a quiet life, because once we have identified your assets, we are coming after it, even without a conviction,” Stephens declared.
Damnnnnnnnnnn that’s a lot of money! Funny, I’ve never heard of Dean Drummond before.
Me either Foxy??????? What is his ‘street name’?
Well he dont have a street name per say.Known by a few ,specially by a few reaggae icons who have found themselves in similar predicaments.And you better believe the figure too.When i tell you this is one of the meanest man with money,and when they got busted that year they made 8mil in the February alone which furthure pised off the feds.
That same house in montego bay was shown to me in pic when they where redoing the Done in the ceiling.
Met i beg u put me ip adress in de IP protection program.Lol.i cyaant badda.
_______________________________________________
DEAN DRUMMOND,
a.k.a. Rayon Antonio Smith,
a.k.a. Blacks,
http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/unpub/ops/200613165.pdf
Others prosecuted with him are:
DEAN DRUMMOND, AKA, “RAYON ANTONIO SMITH”; AKA “BLACKS” (Own Danga Zone Promotions)
DELMAR DRUMMOND; AKA, “CHUCKY”
JAMALL DAVIS, AKA “WRINKLE”
FRANCIS DEON YOUNG, AKA “RICHARD MILTON PURSSORD”; AKA ”
ALBERTO JENSKINS” (Got off a double murder charge in Montego Bay back in 2003 – Licensed Firearm Holder back then)
EDWARD DANTE WARREN, AKA “NINE”
PHILLIP RANKINE
RICHARD ROUSE
*****KEYONNA WALLACE (Property Owner where there was a federal forfeiture case for a property in Miramar, Florida)
MoBay 4 in Florida drug bust
Observer Reporter
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Four prominent Montego Bay men are to appear in a Broward county, Florida court today to answer to immigration and drug trafficking charges after they were arrested in a big marijuana bust last Friday.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest of the four men:
. Richard Rouse, 27;
. Phillip Rankine, 30, son of a popular Montego Bay businessman;
. Dean Drummond, 32, of Danga Zone Promotions, which stages the annual Springfest show in Montego Bay; and
. Francis Young, 34, otherwise called Deon, who was implicated in a party boat shooting incident in Montego Bay two years ago.
According to court documents, Rankine and Rouse were “observed in what appeared to be a parking lot narcotics transaction”.
Rankine’s motor vehicle was stopped at State Road 84 and Hiatus Road, Davie, Florida.
“A narcotics detective canine was deployed on the vehicle and a positive alert was obtained. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 100 pounds of marijuana. Field tested positive. The defendant admitted, post-miranda, to be transporting drugs for monetary gain,” one court document said.
The Broward sheriffs then went to Rouse’s house where they allegedly found another 400 pounds of the weed. The men then led the sheriffs to Drummond and Young who were both taken into custody and later charged.
Young was reportedly living in the country under the name Alberto Jenskins.
All four men are facing immigration violation charges, while Drummond and Young are also charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana.
The men, the Observer was told, were offered US$75,000 bail when they appeared in court on Saturday, but were unable to accept because of the immigration violation charges.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/77332_MoBay-4-in-Florida-drug-bust
Young freed of MoBay party boat shooting
Saturday, April 26, 2003
MONTEGO Bay businessman, Francis “Deon” Young, was yesterday freed of a murder charge brought against him in connection with last year’s controversial party boat shooting, which left at least one person dead, another presumed dead and two others injured.
He walked free from the Montego Bay Circuit Court after prosecutor, Janet Scotland, told the court that the prosecution did not have sufficient evidence to proceed with the case. Further investigations would have to be carried out in order for her to proceed, she added, before she entered a nolle prosequi.
On August 19 of last year, Young got into an argument with David Ellis while they were among patrons aboard Sharky’s party boat off the shores of the western city.
During the altercation, Ellis reportedly used a champagne bottle to hit Young in the face.
Young then allegedly pulled his licensed firearm and fired in Ellis’ direction and others aboard the boat reportedly joined in the gunfire. During the melee, Ellis fell overboard while another man, Paul “Woodyman” Haynes, was fatally shot in the neck.
Two other persons were also shot and injured.
Ellis’ body has never been found but the Director of Public Prosecutions had ruled that Young be charged with his murder. Then, during preliminary hearings late last year, Young was freed of his murder charge on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Yesterday, he was cleared of murdering Haynes.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/42922_Young-freed-of-MoBay-party-boat-shooting
Word, Drummunds is mad young,,,
They just call him Deon. Philip Rankine is from a prominent mobay family. Deon to be part of British Crew, Deon British was hi street name.
I lknow a few of these ppl on the list apart from Deon. Phillip is from a prominent and well respected family and had a child with the daughter of one of montego bay’s wealthiest businessman . Phillip and his friends were on top of the scamming game long before it was even heard roughly around 2001.
I know his mother and father and sister my aunt was telling me about what happened one of the reasons he got caught was because he wrote down every cent he had in his book he was so damn mean.