U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger has sentenced Yaquasia Delcarmen, a 28-year-old resident of Jacksonville, to eight years in federal prison. Delcarmen was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $1,760,210 as proceeds from the drug trafficking activities. Delcarmen entered a guilty plea on June 27, 2024.
Court documents reveal that between October 2022 and her arrest in April 2024, Delcarmen played a managerial role in an armed drug trafficking organization led by her boyfriend, Nathaniel Hatcher III. The organization sourced marijuana from northern California grow operations and transported it back to Jacksonville using commercial flights. The marijuana was then distributed from short-term rental homes in areas such as Riverside and San Marco in Jacksonville. To protect their operations and assets, members of the organization carried firearms.
Delcarmen was tasked with collecting proceeds from drug sales and laundering them through bank accounts she controlled along with Hatcher. The group used fake business accounts for money laundering purposes and spent their earnings on luxury items and trips to destinations like Miami, Hawaii, and California.
Following Hatcher's arrest in February 2024, Delcarmen continued the drug trafficking operations under his guidance while he was incarcerated. She attempted to obstruct the investigation by publicly revealing a witness's identity on social media intending to intimidate them.
After her arrest, Delcarmen breached her bond conditions over 1,000 times by maintaining contact with Hatcher despite being ordered not to do so.
Several co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty for their involvement in the operation. Desmond Maxwell admitted to straw-purchasing firearms for the drug trafficking crime and faces up to 25 years in prison. Al’Donta Easterling confessed to conspiracy charges related to distributing over 100 kilograms of marijuana and possessing a firearm during these activities; he faces at least ten years up to life imprisonment. James Toney pleaded guilty to similar charges along with a drive-by shooting incident linked to drug offenses; he faces a minimum of fifteen years up to life imprisonment. Nathaniel Hatcher is scheduled for trial next year following his indictment.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is handling this case as part of its mission against high-level criminal organizations threatening U.S. security through collaborative efforts among various law enforcement agencies.
This investigation involved multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation division, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), U.S Postal Inspection Service alongside local sheriff’s offices across St Johns County Jacksonville Clay County plus Florida Highway Patrol with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh Kirwinn Mike.