“Buju Banton” Case Resolved

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that the case involving Mark Myrie, aka “Buju Banton,” has been resolved.  Myrie was previously granted a new trial for a firearms charge after a finding by the District Court that a juror had committed misconduct in regard to that charge during Myrie’s trial.  The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently dismissed Myrie’s appeal, sending the matter back to the District Court for the firearms trial.  An agreement between the United States and Myrie, who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for his cocaine conspiracy conviction, calls for the United States to dismiss the remaining firearms charge in exchange for Myrie’s waiver of all future appeals. The agreement has been accepted by the District Court, and the firearms charge has been dismissed.  Myrie is presently scheduled to be released from federal prison in January 2019, at which time he will be deported to his native Jamaica.

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James C. Preston.