Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney has announced that Emmanuel Dourthe, a 26-year-old from Deltona, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber for charges including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dourthe entered a guilty plea in November 2024.
Court documents reveal that on February 14, 2023, law enforcement officials searched a storage unit used by Dourthe and his co-conspirator Brendan Wells for storing narcotics intended for sale. The search uncovered 408 grams of methamphetamine, 399.7 grams of fentanyl, and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Additionally, officers found numerous bottles and baggies containing various powders suspected as cutting agents along with mixing tools. A Smith & Wesson M&P semiautomatic rifle and several gun cases, magazines, and ammunition were also seized.
The investigation into the storage unit began after messages on Dourthe's phone indicated involvement in narcotics trafficking alongside Wells and others. DNA testing confirmed Dourthe's presence on the firearm found at the site; as a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Earlier that day, authorities conducted a residential search where they recovered Wells' backpack containing what was later identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory as 143.98 grams of methamphetamine.
Wells also pleaded guilty in November 2024 and is scheduled for sentencing on March 26, 2025.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman prosecuted the case while Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky handled forfeiture proceedings.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
