Apr.16, 2010

AVON PARK - Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement say they've uncovered a lucrative marijuana trafficking and money laundering scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars that is tied to an Avon Park man and four others.

Christopher Lee Pinnock, 36, of Avon Park, and Carlton Wayne Smith, 43, of Rancho Dominguez, Calif., were arrested Wednesday on charges of racketeering, trafficking in marijuana, money laundering and structuring transactions to evade reporting or registration requirements.

Pinnock remains in the Miami-Dade County Jail, according to Yolanda Carbia, resident agent in charge for the FDLE Sebring field office. He was arrested at the Miami International Airport after arriving from Jamaica.

Smith was served a warrant while already in federal custody.

On Thursday, Alexis Anthony Foster, of Orange County, and Kesha Vashanda Jennings, of Polk County, were arrested and charged with marijuana trafficking, money laundering and racketeering.

The FDLE started an investigation in September 2008 after a manager at the Sebring Bank of America branch notified authorities about suspicious activity involving a checking account in the name of Corey Dewayne Smith of California, according to the affidavit.

According to the manager, Pinnock, a Jamaican citizen living in Avon Park, was making large cash deposits into Smith's account.

As the investigation continued, it was learned that several checking accounts were being used by a drug trafficking organization to funnel payments for marijuana shipments that Smith was sending from California to several eastern states, including Florida, the affidavit stated.

Pinnock, Foster and Jennings were reportedly responsible for coordinating and receiving shipments for Central Florida. The three also made the cash deposits into the accounts.

Some of the funds were later wire transferred to a contact in Jamaica, according to the affidavit. The money would be received in Jamaican currency in order to thwart detection.

Four bank accounts, including the Bank of America one, were used to deposit payments for the marijuana.

"From January of 2007 to September of 2009, these four accounts had a combined total of approximately $1,929,299.00 in cash deposits," the affidavit stated. "These deposits were all made in amounts of under $10,000 during a single deposit transaction."

These transactions were made at bank branches in several states, such as Florida, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Indiana and others.

Florida deposits were done primarily in Sebring, Avon Park, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Orlando and Jacksonville, the affidavit stated.

Deposit records showed that, during 2007 and 2008, at least 25 cash deposits totaling $64,000 were made into the Bank of America account from branches in Sebring and Avon Park.

Shipping records from UPS showed that 54 marijuana packages were shipped from a facility in Gardena, Calif., between March and September of 2009. The sender was listed as either Mimiluxe or Beauty Mark and the package was described as footcare products and scrubs or bath soap and scrubs, according to the affidavit.

The president of Mimiluxe provided law enforcement with a notarized statement stating the packages weren't authentic. Beauty Mark was thought to no longer be in business.

At least two of the packages were shipped to Highlands County addresses, the affidavit stated.

Smith reportedly used several aliases while involved in the operation, including Corey Smith.

Carbia said Thursday the remaining suspect was being hunted by authorities in Maryland.

The only connection between the five so far is they are all of Jamaican descent, according to Carbia.

She added that, at this time, there's no reason to think anyone else is involved. That could change after all the suspects are questioned.

"Pinnock lawyered up, so he didn't want to talk to us yesterday (Wednesday)," Carbia said.