Punta Gorda Man Found Guilty In Multi-State Cocaine Conspiracy

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Leslie Chin (Punta Gorda, 35) guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five or more kilograms of cocaine and a substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2016. 

Chin was indicted on December 3, 2014,

According to evidence presented at trial, Chin was involved in a conspiracy with at least 10 persons to distribute crack cocaine in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Two co-conspirators, Andrew Chin and Jerome Antonio Vaughn, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. They are currently awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert P. Barclift.