Investigators said Charmaine Romain was the main launderer of millions of dollars derived from the cannabis sales. Roman is being held in the Orange County Jail. Other arrests have been made, but confirmed details were not immediately released.
Agents said five search warrants were executed in Orange County.
Central Florida law enforcement officials first became aware of this violent Jamaican drug trafficking organization in 2006. Since that time, hundreds of pounds of cannabis have been interdicted or seized from individuals associated with this organization. Violent crimes, such as homicide, attempted homicide, home invasion robbery, armed robbery, armed narcotics trafficking and firearms violations, have been linked to many of the members of the organization.
MBI officials said the investigation revealed the organization was smuggling thousands of pounds of cannabis from Mexico into the United States, and then to Central Florida, using several methods.
“These methods included delivery through the United State Postal packages, private package delivery services, freight shipping services, private vehicles, including recreational vehicles,” said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
Agents said the organization used several “stash houses” in the Pine Hills area to store the cannabis, before it could be divided up and sold. They also used several warehouses in west Orlando to take delivery of shipments of cannabis and to use as bases of operation for distribution.
MBI said it seized more than 3,212 pounds of cannabis, more than $200,000 in cash, 10 firearms and six vehicles.
More arrests and seizures are anticipated as the investigation progresses, investigators said.
SECOND NEWS SOURCE
By Amy Pavuk, Orlando Sentinel
12:56 p.m. EDT, October 10, 2013
A violent Jamaican drug-trafficking ring that brought thousands of pounds of marijuana into Central Florida has been dismantled with the arrests of its ringleaders and associates, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation said Thursday.
Fifty people are facing criminal charges ranging from racketeering to money laundering to trafficking in marijuana. Many of those suspects were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in a series of raids that included the group’s distribution hub in Orange County.
Law-enforcement has been aware of the group since 2006, and members have been linked to homicides in Central Florida and Jamaica, armed robberies and other violent crimes, MBI said.
Thousands of pounds of marijuana have been smuggled into Central Florida by the group through numerous methods, including in recreational vehicles, freight containers and in the mail.
They used “stash houses” in Pine Hills to store the drugs before it could be divided and sold, and used several warehouses in west Orlando to base their distribution operation, including one on West Robinson Street.
MBI said its agents began targeting the group — comprised of suspects mostly of Jamaican descent — in September 2011.
It was a complex investigation that utilized undercover agents, informants and other investigative techniques. Agents witnessed gambling and illegal gun sales, said MBI Director Larry Zwieg.
“We exhausted every means of investigation you can think of,” Zwieg said.
During the course of “Operation Warehouse 13,” agents seized more than 3,200 pounds of marijuana, $200,000 in cash, 15 guns and numerous cars. More seizures are expected, MBI said.
The group is linked to a nearly 3,000-pound marijuana seizure in July that was brought into Orlando in an RV.
In that case, members of the drug organization planned to meet in Orlando to divvy up marijuana that dealers would then sell throughout the state, agents said.
Law-enforcement was tipped off, and watched as an RV full of marijuana traveled around Central Florida, stopping to unload portions of the drug around town.
Mukesh Rampersad and Shamila Rampersad drove their Marathon Coach RV to the Ocoee Walmart, agents said, where they met Affri Chang and gave him 12 duffel bags holding roughly 600 pounds of marijuana.
Officers followed Chang to a nearby neighborhood, where they pulled him over and arrested him.
The Rampersads then headed to a resort on International Drive, where they met up with several other people and loaded packages from the RV into a Honda van, agents said.
Officers later stopped the driver of the van, Courtney Hutchinson, and found about 945 pounds of marijuana separated into 47 packaged bundles inside the vehicle.
MBI agents stopped the RV in the resort’s parking lot, and found about 1,230 pounds of marijuana hidden inside. Mukesh Rampersad and Shamila Rampersad were arrested.
Earlier this month, agents arrested the suspected ringleaders of the organization: Wayne St. Clair Reid, Charmaine Roman, and Mark Reed, also known as Terence Turbe.
Agents cautioned that they aren’t positive those are the suspects legal names, as they uncovered multiple identities and passports.
Roman was laundering the bulk of the millions of dollars the ring made, Zwieg said. The investigation into the money laundering is ongoing, Zwieg said.
Roman, a music promoter with ties to Clermont, was the victim in a high-profile violent 2009 home invasion.
Lake County prosecutors said at least two men forced their way into Roman’s home at gunpoint, tied her and her daughters up, and demanded $15,000 she won in a scratch-off lottery game.
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They shipped over US$20 Million to Jamaica over the years. Greed is a hell of a thing.
A lot of Orlando people will be making their way out of dodge right about now.
“Leaders of the organization were identified as Wayne St. Clair Reid, Charmaine Roman and Mark Reed, investigators said.
Officials said other high-ranking members of the trafficking organization who were charged include Howard Abrahams, Wayne D. Reid, Linus Walker and Michael Reid Davis.”
Pictures of the major players:
http://www.wesh.com/news/central-florida/orange-county/images-36-arrested-on-charges-of-racketeering-trafficking-cannabis/-/12978032/22367538/-/bn5sj8/-/index.html
More video and faces:
very greedy …why were they still here smhhhhhhhhhhh
Met in the game, sometimes the thrill of making illegal money is more addictive than the money itself. Ask any drug dealer who mek any real money and dem will tell yuh……With that said, anybody who get inna a di game inna the first place stupid. Just the thought of police a haul & pull me and have mi inna chain like animal mek mi cringe. Mi love mi freedom, worse mi easy fi shame….. coulda never live that life.
fi real smh
@Firebrand, when the police show up it is sort of good news to a lot of dealers. The real concern/fear is when your “friends” find out that you have a serious amount of goods and send their friends to rob the stuff and kill you and everyone in sight in the process. There is no loyalty in that business.
If you read the second article about the two men that did the home invasion robbery on Roman and her daughters. They know she was the money handler and that’s why they went to her home. Of course she made up some nonsense about scratch-off lottery game. She is lucky she and her daughters are alive today. I know of a lot of Jamaicans who were not that lucky.
Met, good that dem remain in the states because now dem get catch dem guarantee a prison sentence.
If dem did go a yard dem and dem money would only add to community problems-GANGS AND DONS. Bad enough dem send weapons into de Island fi secure dem monies.
Mawning Metsy,
But look how the woman look like she well planted in the church…bwoy looks are really deceiving. Met when them have all this money they sqaunder it so therefore even though they are making money they never have money suh dem haffi tan in a di game. It becomes their life.
Mi sorry fi dem., hope dem have up them lawyer money. I love my Jamaican People but this is the reason why we have such a bad name in America and when green card lottery a give way Jamaica is not included.
SMH…..seems like they pooled together. When you reach a certain point get out. How much is enough. Charmaine above won $15,000. in a scratch off should of invested in something else and called it quits. It’s the best thing when you live lo make your money, not part of a group, don’t believe you can help others until your out, speak less until you get out and can tell the tale legit!
Sad when greed takes over.
Mukesh Rampersad and Shamila Rampersad were the Trinidadian coupled that was arrested a few months ago in Orlando (featured on this site) with the super expensive RV filled with marijuana. There is talk that Mukesh Rampersad is related/linked with the PM of Trinidad. He owns a bunch of property in South Florida and some major auto businesses. Are they cooperating with the Police?
Dem more than corporating……more to go from other States.
Charmaine mi know yuh long time friend from dung suh a sweat like a hog now. Greed and deception a tell yuh
mi waa see what january gwine bring………….none of them in the video look scared though :tkp
muy muy muy muy interesante
Charmaine Roman :sorry :cd story come to bump now
yuh noe dem ppl yah weh inna dem tings ere nuh smart nun tall :hoax2
Dem must have up dem dutty money fi things like this though.
Dese ppl dont know wen enuff is enuff…..another case of want all lose all smfh.
wanda who from the celebrity dancehallers is in dis?
/
Dese Orlando people cyaan behave demself…how much years u inna di ting…take wah u can get an cut…one ting bout Orlando still, from u in the streets di whole a dem know dem one anada…I hope di rest a dem realize say crime doesn’t pay…get unnu life in order.
Charmaine Romain was only given a 6-year sentence and was in the US for over 20-years illegally. She spent 4-years jail before being tried. Last I heard she was seeking asylum. Does anyone know her status today? Was she granted asylum in the US or deported?
She was know to be part of the LGBTQIA++ group…..