Thirty-Nine People Indicted in Massive Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

Thirty-four Florida residents were arrested in a drug trafficking conspiracy. A total of 39 individuals were charged, five individuals remain at large

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

Charged in the indictment are Samuel David Alvarado, a/k/a “Wham,” 35, of Lake Worth, Stephen Carl Alveranga, a/k/a “Stevo,” 39, of West Palm Beach, Armand Edward Armstrong, 30, of Lake Worth, Robert Benjamin Brewster, a/k/a “Benji,” 33, of West Palm Beach, Devier Calvo-Borrego, 26, of West Palm Beach, Jamie Neil Capalbo, 33, of Loxahatchee, Nicholas William Capparelli, a/k/a “Cap,” 27, of Lake Worth, Herve Fils Viaud, a/k/a “V,” 23, of West Palm Beach, Fidel Fragoso, a/k/a Fidel F. Ojito, 62, of West Palm Beach, Julio Angel Garcia, a/k/a “Peanut,” 24, of West Palm Beach, Tavaris Sherrod Hayes, 30, of West Palm Beach, Baron Waldo Henderson, 38, of West Palm Beach, Sam Henricy, a/k/a “Tukan,” 32, of West Palm Beach, Lavaress Jayvon Hopkins, 25, of West Palm Beach, Rones Jean Paul, 29, of Boynton Beach, Walson Tony Joseph, 38, of Lake Worth, Justin Patrick Landfried, 23, of Royal Palm Beach, Steven Joseph Leal, a/k/a “Pep,” 35, of Lake Worth, Eric Ramon Machado-Orama a/k/a “E,” 35, of West Palm Beach, Victoria Lynn McGinnis, a/k/a “Picky Vicky,” 56, of Palm Springs, Pedro Nel Mejia, Jr. a/k/a “Dro,” 26, of West Palm Beach, Andrew Carl Melchert, 32, of West Palm Beach, Joseph Michaud, 31, of West Palm Beach, Joseph Michael O'Connor, a/k/a “Jit,” 23, of West Palm Beach, Neil R. Puterbaugh, Jr., 41, of Greenacres, Vincent Ronald Ranallo, a/k/a “Vinnie,” 48, of Lake Worth, Todd John Reynolds, 44, of West Palm Beach, Jean A. Saint Louis, Jr., 27, of Lake Worth, Adolfo Rico Sanchez, a/k/a “Primo,” 30, of Lantana, Jacob Lee Skelly, 37, of Port Saint Lucie, Teddy Roosevelt Sims, 37, of West Palm Beach, Tyrone Isiah Thomas, 22, of West Palm Beach, Fabian Josue Vallejo, a/k/a “Fabo,” 24, of Greenacres, Eliezet Andres Velazquez, a/k/a “Tete,” 22, of Lake Worth, David Dieudonne Vilmont, a/k/a “Dai Dai,” “Zona,” 26, of West Palm Beach, Omar Veloz, Jr. a/k/a “O,” 25, of West Palm Beach, Alexander Handel Webster, Jr. a/k/a “X,” 30, of Lake Worth, Sherman Eugene Weeks, Sr., 41, of West Palm Beach, and James Alvin Wright, 29, of West Palm Beach.

Capalbo, Henderson, Henricy, Joseph, Landfried, Wright and Veloz were also charged with firearms-related offenses.

Earlier this morning, each of the individuals arrested appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman for their initial appearances. Alvarado, Garcia, Ranallo, Thomas and Vallejo remain at large.

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, ATF and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rinku Tribuiani and Robert Waters.

An indictment is only an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.