Bennie Charles Deloach, 36, of Cantonment, Florida, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine or 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that is plaguing our community and threatening the health and safety of our citizens. I deeply appreciate the hard work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to help keep drug traffickers like this defendant off our streets, and my office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute these offenses to safeguard our community.”
Court records indicate that a Pensacola Police Department officer attempted to stop Deloach’s vehicle due to active felony warrants. Deloach fled, striking a pole and a parked car before fleeing on foot. Officers found narcotics in a backpack dropped by Deloach and additional drugs in his vehicle. The total amount of methamphetamine recovered weighed over 830 grams.
Chief Brown of the Pensacola Police Department commented: “Effective law enforcement in the war on drugs isn’t just about reacting to crime … it’s about anticipating it, disrupting the supply chains, and working together with all of our law enforcement partners to stop it. Illegal use of drugs in our community is something that cannot be tolerated, and we will use all avenues in the war on drugs.”
DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter added: “Those who distribute methamphetamine in Florida will be held accountable. The health and safety of our Florida communities is my top priority – always.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Pensacola Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime by consolidating resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Public court documents are available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More information can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
