Winter Garden Ocoee police departments assisted in capture of Central Florida drug dealer

U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. on Monday, March 20, sentenced James Mirabal (46, St. Cloud) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. 

The Winter Garden and Ocoee police departments were among many agencies that helped to apprehend Dalton. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

The court also ordered Mirabal to forfeit $124,598, traceable proceeds of the offense. Mirabal had pleaded guilty on Dec. 27, 2022. Mirabal’s two conspirators, Johnathan Beharry and Vilnarie Figueroa Matos, previously pleaded guilty. Beharry was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Feb. 14, 2023. Figueroa Matos is scheduled to be sentenced April 17, 2023. 

According to court documents, Mirabal conspired with numerous others to distribute kilograms of cocaine. During the investigation, Mirabal had discussed, among other things, a seizure of 50 kilograms of cocaine in April 2022, as he arranged for the delivery of 20 kilograms of cocaine to Beharry. The drugs were later seized during Beharry’s arrest Oct. 17, 2022. Mirabal routinely discarded cellphones and, when arrested Oct. 31, 2022, was found in possession of 24 cellphones and $124,598 in currency.