West Palm Beach Resident is Convicted of Attempting to Conceal Money Subject to Seizure

Doraisy Martinez, 39, of West Palm Beach, pled guilty to one count of attempted removal of property to prevent seizure.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.

According to the court record, including facts admitted at the plea hearing, in March 2016, Martinez was living with her boyfriend, Osvaldo Rizo Santana, in Boynton Beach.  On March 16, 2016, DEA agents executed a search warrant at the house, seized almost a kilogram of cocaine, and arrested Santana. On March 17 and 18, 2016, Santana called Martinez several times from jail.  In the recorded calls, Santana and Martinez discussed an item that was buried in their yard.  On March 18, 2016, DEA agents went to Santana and Martinez’s house.  There they observed Martinez digging a hole in the ground and new holes on the property.  Agents then obtained a search warrant for the premises.  There they discovered, buried at the location where Ms. Martinez had been digging when the agents arrived, $20,000 in a vacuum sealed package.  Martinez had attempted to remove the money to prevent it from being seized by law enforcement.

In a separate case, Santana pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 37 months’ incarceration.

Martinez faces a maximum possible statutory sentence of five years in prison.

Mr. Ferrer and Mr. Wright commended the investigative efforts of the DEA. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.