Two men were recently found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges after a lengthy investigation.
Last month, in the Honorable Judge Willard Pope’s courtroom, 55-year-old James E. Brown and one of his associates, 57-year-old Sammy L. Welcome Sr., were found guilty by a jury on charges related to their illicit narcotics arrests back in 2019 and 2020.
Brown was convicted of felony Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking in Heroin, Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking in Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device to Facilitate a Felony, Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Trafficking in Heroin, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of MDMA with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of Oxycodone with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of Alprazolam, Possession of a Place for Trafficking or Sale of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Welcome was convicted of Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device to Facilitate a Felony, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Cannabis over 20 Grams, and Possession of Methamphetamine.
Beginning in late 2019 and continuing through January of 2020, members of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) conducted an investigation of James Brown and his associates, including Sammy Welcome. As part of the north Central Florida investigation, law enforcement obtained court approval for the interception of phone calls and text messages, commonly known as a wiretap. Based on information and evidence obtained during the investigation, UDEST obtained search warrants for multiple locations that were executed on January 15, 2020.
“Large-scale operations like this take time for law enforcement to investigate, make an arrest, and for our office to prosecute,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “In this case, multiple arrests were made, including the two defendants, that removed these dangerous drug traffickers from our community. I am proud that my office was able to secure these guilty verdicts.”
During the execution of the search warrants, officials found various amounts of illicit narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Both Brown and Welcome were subsequently arrested and charged accordingly.
The outcome of this case was a result of the diligent efforts of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Assistant State Attorney Samuel Armstrong.
