JACKSONVILLE, Florida — James Toney, a 20-year-old from Jacksonville, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in drug trafficking and a drive-by shooting, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Toney was convicted of conspiring to distribute marijuana, committing a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger handed down the sentence. Javon Davis, a 27-year-old from Jacksonville, received a seven-year sentence, while Christian Guyton, a 23-year-old from Jacksonville, was sentenced to eight years and four months, both for conspiring to distribute marijuana.
The three men were part of a Jacksonville-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Nathaniel Hatcher III, which smuggled bulk marijuana from Northern California to Jacksonville. The DTO used commercial airlines, mail, and vehicles to transport the drugs, which were then stored and distributed from short-term rental homes in Jacksonville. Members of the DTO, including Toney, carried firearms to protect their operations…