Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Neil DeSousa, Acting U.S. Marshal (USMS) for the Southern District of Florida, Noel Manheimer, Director, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine, Dan Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, Vince Demasi, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, Al Lamberti, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and Peter Antonacci, Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, announce that an eighteen-count indictment was filed yesterday against fourteen individuals charging them with narcotics trafficking for their participation in an international conspiracy to possess and distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Charged in the indictment are:

Taverne Pierre Louis, 42, of Haiti;
Frantz Bernard, 42, of Miramar, Florida;
Kevin Hendfield, 49, of Freeport, Bahamas;
Joachim Pierre Louis, 28, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
James Francois, 24, of Haiti;
Jean Roland, 55, of Freeport, Bahamas;
Jose Ignacid Sigler, 48, of Miami, Florida;
Osvaldo Domingo Ceballo, 42, of Naples, Florida;
Yumar Oliva, 42, of Miami, Florida;
Beverly Sharon Miller, 52, of Miramar, Florida;
Tyrell Patrick Josey, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Terence Demetrius Nesbitt, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
Ronel M. Theodore, 26, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and
Kirk Irwin Pierce, Jr., 51, of Palm Springs, California.

The indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine, from November 2010 through June 2012, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 (Count 1). The indictment also charges a number of individual counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base on specific dates, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841 (Counts 2-18).

If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and Count 8, a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison on Counts 9, 15, 17, and 18 and up to 20 years on the remaining counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA, CBP, Boca Raton Police Department, and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police Department, and the USMS for their assistance in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien.

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.