JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — (Editor's Note: The video above is from a different, unrelated report)
A Jacksonville Beach man has been indicted on federal charges related to the possession and distribution of cocaine, according to the Department of Justice.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Diandre Murel, 29, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it.
If convicted, Murel faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison for the conspiracy offense and up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession offense.
Murel’s case is set for trial in August 2023.
According to the indictment and court records, Murel and another individual were stopped in Baker County for speeding. Deputies from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office walked a K-9 around their car and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. The deputies then searched and located a kilogram of cocaine inside a backpack.
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration responded to the scene and determined that Murel had purchased the cocaine in Atlanta and was returning to Jacksonville Beach, where he, and others, intended to sell the drugs.
DEA agents and officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department then executed a search warrant on the condo where Murel was renting a room. Law enforcement seized additional amounts of cocaine and three firearms from inside Murel’s room.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit also provided assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.