TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WMBB) – Five Florida residents, including four people from Panama City, have been sentenced in federal court in Tallahassee for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, federal officials announced.
U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker sentenced ringleader Mario Swanston, 45, of Miami, to five years in prison. Four co-defendants from Panama City received sentences ranging from two to four years of federal supervised release.
The sentencings stem from a multi-agency investigation into a drug trafficking conspiracy that operated between Nov. 21, 2023 and April 25, 2024. According to court records, Swanston obtained cocaine and marijuana from California and Georgia, relying on local couriers to store and transport the drugs across North Florida…