manhattenfederalcourt

Two senior Bahamian officers and eleven other men accused of transporting narcotics to the United States could face life in US prison if convicted.

Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor Damian Williams, known for his aggressive investigations which resulted in a string of high-profile indictments and convictions, brought the charges against the two senior Bahamian officers and eleven other men which include two Colombian nationals, accused of conspiracy to transport narcotics from Colombia to the Bahamas and into the United States.

Williams said, “Today’s charges should serve as yet another powerful wake-up call to corrupt officials everywhere—we will not rest until you are held accountable for your role in the drug trade that is poisoning this country and our community.”

Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, 51; Sergeant Prince Symonette, 52; Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker, 56; Riccardo Davis, 59; William Simeon, 52; Theodore Adderley,53; Joshua Scavella, 46; Lorielmo Steele-Pomare, 59, of Colombia; Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro, 58, of Colombia; Davon Rolle, 34; Darren Ferguson, 54; Domonick Delancy, 36, of The Bahamas; and Donald Ferguson 26; are charged with cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; using and carrying firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Williams, the first Black prosecutor to lead the Southern District of New York, secured a fraud conviction against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and a corruption and bribery conviction of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez. His office is also prosecuting New York City Mayor Eric Adams for bribery, fraud, and campaign finance charges as well as rapper and music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs on charges including sex trafficking.

Williams said of the indictment secured against Bahamian nationals, “As alleged, for years, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials who control airports throughout the country and provide sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard movements to drug traffickers.

“This indictment is the latest in a series of charges that this Office and the DEA’s Special Operations Division have brought against corrupt government officials around the globe who partner with dangerous cocaine traffickers.”

Williams commended the prosecutors of this Office and partners at the DEA for disrupting “drug-fueled corruption wherever it takes hold.”

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried will be extradited to the United States following a back-and-forth in Bahamian courts.

The now disgraced crypto knight who has become known as the mastermind behind one of the biggest financial schemes had planned to fight the extradition, then apparently folded. But when he appeared in court, his lawyer and the prosecutor seemed shocked to learn about the decision. Bankman was carried back to prison but returned a short time later, agreeing to face a US court.

Bankman-Fried’s lawyer Jerone Roberts said the fallen crypto king “wishes to put the customers right and that is what has driven his decision to be voluntarily extradited to the United States.”

Bankman-Fried would have to sign an extradition paper as he prepares to be handcuffed, placed on board a plane with an escort from the US Marshals Service, carried to La Guardia or JFK Airport, and sent to the Southern District of New York courthouse.

Bankman-Fried is expected to appear in Bahamian court again on Tuesday morning to complete the extradition process.

He was arrested by Bahamian authorities last week Monday around 6 pm at the request of the US government, and spent a week in Bahamian prison after he was denied bail.

Prime Minister Philip Davis who became an acquaintance of Bankman-Fried said at the time of his arrest, “The Bahamas and the United States have shared interest in holding accountable all individuals associated with FTX who may have betrayed the public trust and broken the law.”

He is wanted in New York for eight criminal charges– conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and violation of the fiance law, and could be sentenced to 115 years in prison. And more could be pending. All of this comes after the implosion of his 32-billion-dollar crypto empire and revelations that he diverted customer monies to his trading company, Alameda Research.

The 30-year-old crypto darling who has permanent residency in the Bahamas was in the country since 2021 when he moved the exchange from Hong Kong, China.

His high-profile attorney Mark Cohen represents him as he attempts to beat the charges.

Photo credit: Reuters