U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger has sentenced Yaquasia Delcarmen, 28, of Jacksonville, to eight years in federal prison for her role in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $1,760,210, which represented proceeds from the drug operation. Delcarmen pleaded guilty on June 27, 2024.
Court documents revealed that between October 2022 and April 2024, Delcarmen served as a manager and supervisor of an armed drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by her boyfriend, Nathaniel Hatcher III. The DTO acquired large quantities of marijuana from grow operations in northern California, smuggling the drugs to Jacksonville via commercial flights using suitcases.
Once in Jacksonville, Delcarmen and her co-conspirators distributed the marijuana from short-term rental homes primarily located in the Riverside and San Marco neighborhoods. To protect their operations, Delcarmen and other members carried firearms and used the residences to store drugs and proceeds.
Delcarmen’s specific role included:
- Collecting drug proceeds from DTO dealers.
- Laundering the profits through sham business accounts she controlled with Hatcher.
- Spending illicit proceeds on luxury items, vehicles, vacations to Miami, Hawaii, and California, and rental properties.
Continued Operations and Obstruction
After Hatcher’s arrest in February 2024, Delcarmen continued managing drug trafficking activities on his behalf while he was incarcerated. Acting under Hatcher’s direction, she:
- Coordinated additional drug sales.
- Attempted to obstruct the federal investigation by publicly posting the identity of a witness on social media to intimidate them.
Following her own arrest, Delcarmen violated her bond conditions more than 1,000 times by maintaining contact with Hatcher despite a court order prohibiting communication.
- Delcarmen trafficked between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana during the conspiracy.
- She laundered at least $1.7 million in drug proceeds through fraudulent accounts.
Several of Delcarmen’s associates have also pleaded guilty to their roles:
- Desmond Maxwell: Pleaded guilty to straw-purchasing firearms to facilitate the drug operation. He faces up to 25 years in federal prison.
- Al’Donta Easterling: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He faces 10 years to life in prison.
- James Toney: Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, a drive-by shooting, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces 15 years to life in prison.
- Nathaniel Hatcher III: Charged by indictment and scheduled for trial next year.
An indictment is merely a formal charge, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, which targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and transnational criminal organizations.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies, including:
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- Local law enforcement agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
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