Federal Jury Convicts Apopka Felon Of Cocaine And Firearm Offenses

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Joshua Otis Gordon Carter (26, Apopka) guilty of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 2018.

Carter was indicted on October 26, 2016.

According to evidence presented at trial, on February 29, 2016, officers executed a search warrant at a home in Apopka, where Carter lived with his girlfriend and three small children. In the master bedroom closet of the home, officers discovered a loaded firearm, more than one kilogram of cocaine, and more than $11,000 in cash. At the time of the search, Carter was a previously-convicted felon and, therefore, prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan W. Hill and Shawn Napier.