Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Jovon “Playa Pat” Booker, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering. The indictment includes allegations of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, conspiracy to commit money laundering, laundering money through the purchase of high-end jewelry, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Booker is set for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola on August 28, 2025.
If convicted on these charges, Booker could face up to life imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted by multiple agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and Pensacola Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton are prosecuting the case.
“An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” according to the statement from prosecutors.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), an initiative designed to use all available resources from the Department of Justice against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while aiming to protect communities from violent crime. This operation coordinates efforts with programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices serving as principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. More information about court documents can be found at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
