Cocaine conspiracy leader gets 10-year prison sentence

A Florida man, known as the leader of a cocaine conspiracy with a network stretching into Orlando, was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Eddie Martinez-Marquez, 33, of Kissimmee, was arrested on Sept. 7, 2020, and pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine, according to court records.

Martinez-Marquez was known in the illegal trade by many aliases including Macho, Barbu and bin Laden.

Investigators found between 2016 and 2018 Martinez-Marquez was the leader of a cocaine distribution organization working with a male co-conspirator in Jacksonville, who would later sell the product, court records show.

In 2018, the co-conspirator, who was not named, was arrested and told authorities he would purchase about an ounce of cocaine from Martinez-Marquez twice a month. Amounts, though, increased over time to as much as two kilograms charging as much as $27,000 per kilogram. In the summer of 2018, a male courier working for the co-conspirator was delivering cocaine and receiving cash from multiple locations including the Camden Lee Vista apartment complex in south Orlando.

Investigators observed Martinez-Marquez driving to and from the apartment complex, and visiting one particular room, which was leased to a family member. The room’s utilities were listed in the name of Martinez-Marquez’s longtime girlfriend.

The Orlando apartment was used as a base of operations for transactions with Jacksonville where the courier reported picking up cocaine at the apartment and delivering cash payments, stating to authorities he delivered $78,000 on one occasion, records show.

In August 2018, DEA and FBI agents observed the courier obtaining an “object” from the Orlando apartment and traveling to Jacksonville and back in an SUV. Telephone records obtained by federal agents confirm that Martinez-Marquez and the co-conspirator were coordinating with the courier to pick up the object.

As the courier returned to Jacksonville, they were pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper because of a traffic offense. The courier was arrested for driving with a suspended license. After a K-9 officer detected the presence of drugs, troopers conducted a search of the vehicle and found a kilogram of cocaine. The courier was not charged for the drug offense as troopers didn’t disclose to him that a kilogram was found.

Following the incident, investigators learned through telephone records that Martinez-Marquez and the co-conspirator were rattled by the event with Martinez-Marquez stating the lack of an arrest “smells like an investigation.” The two discussed future installments using vacuum sealed bags in vehicles to avoid K-9 detection.

Later that month, investigators intercepted calls involving another exchange between the co-conspirator and the courier at a commercial property where their drug business was operated. A week later, agents searched the property and discovered three bags each containing 200 grams of cocaine. Both men were then arrested.

Upon Martinez-Marquez plea agreement, he admitted to supplying at least 15 kilograms of cocaine.

On Monday, Martinez-Marquez was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, while also having to pay off $500,000 — the proceeds of the multi-kilo drug conspiracy.