OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — An Okaloosa man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading responsible to distribute greater than 5 kilograms of cocaine after the U.S. Postal Service discovered a number of packages shipped from Puerto Rico, in accordance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida.
Kendall Ivan Brown, 41, pleaded responsible to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or extra of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or extra of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“I am proud of our federal, state, and local partners for their tireless efforts to keep us safe and serve a critical role in our efforts to remove addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody stated in a news launch. “We will continue to support the efforts our law enforcement partners as we work together to investigate and prosecute criminals bringing drugs into North Florida.”
In Aug. 2021, U.S. Postal Inspectors recognized a number of packages shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in Okaloosa County, over a number of months, containing massive portions of cocaine. Working with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators had been in a position to establish Brown as the recipient and decide that he was receiving the packages at a number of totally different addresses in Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, and Crestview.
On November 16, 2021, investigators executed search warrants at three areas related to Brown and found over eight kilograms of cocaine. At one of the areas, the cocaine was hid with a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm pistol.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (*25*) United States Attorney Walter Narramore prosecuted the case.
