Yesterday, a mother and her son from Sebring were sentenced to federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Fort Pierce, for conspiring to import Ecstasy from the Netherlands into the United States.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Diane J. Sabatino, Director, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Annalisa Anfuso Patterson, 56, and her son Jake Elwyn Patterson, 19, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled substance 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), also known as “Ecstasy," in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 963; and attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance- 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), also known as “Ecstasy" in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Annalisa Patterson was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Jake Patterson was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to the court record, including the stipulated factual proffer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in Miami identified, searched and detained two U.S. Postal Service parcels, destined for Highlands County. The parcels were found to contain approximately 525 tablets of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), also known as “Ecstasy," a schedule I controlled substance. On May 17, 2016, HSI agents, with the assistance of United States Postal Inspectors, conducted a controlled delivery of one of the parcels to Sebring, Florida. Annalisa Patterson accepted and opened the parcel. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at the residence and observed, next to the opened parcel, a laptop computer with images of MDMA on the screen.
The court record indicates that Annalisa and Jake Patterson used Bitcoins to place orders for MDMA from the Netherlands, using internet websites (the “dark web"). Jake Patterson used a test kit to ensure that the substances they had purchased were in fact Ecstasy. Annalisa and Jake Patterson supplied other individuals with Ecstasy, from their Sebring residence.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI, CBP, and USPIS. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
