44 pounds of cocaine leads to federal prison for Florida man

FLORIDA – The purported leader of a Florida cocaine conspiracy has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to delivering over 44 pounds of cocaine to a co-conspirator, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.

James Mirabal, 46, of St. Cloud, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The court also ordered Mirabal to forfeit $124,598, traceable proceeds of the offense.

Mirabal pleaded guilty on December 27, 2022.

Mirabal’s two conspirators, Johnathan Beharry and Vilnarie Figueroa Matos, previously pleaded guilty. Beharry was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on February 14, 2023. Figueroa Matos is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2023.

According to court documents, Mirabal conspired with numerous others to distribute kilograms of cocaine. During the investigation, Mirabal had discussed, among other things, a seizure of 50 kilograms of cocaine in April 2022, as he arranged for the delivery of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of cocaine to Beharry.

The drugs were later seized during Beharry’s arrest on October 17, 2022, the USAO said.

Mirabal routinely discarded cellphones and, when arrested on October 31, 2022, was reportedly found in possession of 24 cellphones and $124,598 in currency.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill is prosecuting it.