POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A federal jury has convicted Damion Clarke, 33, of Lakeland, for his role in a Jamaican drug trafficking organization operating in Central Florida. Clarke faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The investigation, led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, revealed that Clarke acted as a middleman between a confidential source and a major drug trafficker, Rafick Gilpin.
Clarke facilitated the sale of significant quantities of cocaine and firearms during a series of controlled purchases from November 2021 to July 2022.
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Gilpin was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his involvement in the drug trafficking operation.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence in communities across the United States.
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