ORLANDO, Fla. - U.S. States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Eladio Marroquin-(31, Apopka) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Medina was the vice-president of JM2 Auto Sales, Inc. at 2636 Floral Avenue, Apopka, (“JM2").
Joel Torres, the president of JM2, was previously convicted by a federal jury of three counts of money laundering and eleven counts of Failure to File IRS Form (a report required for cash purchases over $10,000). Torres’ sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2013, before United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr.
According to court documents, Medina and Torres laundered narcotics proceeds for the Gulf Cartel, at their car dealership in Apopka. The Gulf Cartel was a drug trafficking organization based out of Mexico. As payment for vehicles, Medina and Torres received money that was derived from narcotics sales. These vehicles were sent back to members of the cartel in Texas, and were also used by local cartel members in Florida. At one point during the money laundering conspiracy, from Oct. 26, 2010 to Nov. 16, 2010, one cartel member brought more than $115,000 in cash into JM2 for the purchase of vehicles.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Apopka Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
