TAMPA, Fla. — An Orlando man has been charged with dealing cocaine and fentanyl after reportedly being caught with 10 kilos of cocaine and two kilos of fentanyl, said the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).
Maximo Espinosa, 44, of Kissimmee, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the charges on January 9.
Espinosa faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison if convicted. Because Espinosa was on federal supervised release at the time of this offense, he will also face an additional sentence for violating his terms of supervised release.
According to the criminal complaint, on November 9, 2023, December 5, 2023, and December 7, 2023, Espinosa and others were part of a criminal conspiracy that distributed kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl throughout the Middle District of Florida, including Polk and Osceola counties.
On January 2, 2024, Espinosa is said to have again attempted to distribute controlled substances and was reportedly arrested with 10 kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Espinosa’s home allegedly revealed another kilogram of cocaine, a half kilogram of fentanyl, two firearms, and several hundred pills.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Winter Haven Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Adam J. Nate will prosecute it.
