Alongside Officials from the Bahamas Detained for Drugs and Guns Complaint After FL Crash

Alongside Officials from the Bahamas Detained  for Drugs and Guns Complaint After FL Crash by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 18 – Two former officials of the Bahamas were arraigned on drug charges on January 8. Inner City Press was the only media in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrates courtroom when it happened. Both men were detained, and will be seen by the District Judge on January 10.    Back in November DOJ announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 13 defendants with cocaine importation and related weapons offenses in connection with their participation in a massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (“RBPF”). ELVIS NATHANIEL CURTIS, an RBPF Chief Superintendent, and DARRIN ALEXANDER ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (“RBDF”), were arrested on Monday in Florida and had their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  LORIELMO STEELE-POMARE, a/k/a “Steele” and WILLIAM SIMEON, a/k/a “Harvey Smith,” a/k/a “William Jacques,” a/k/a “Romeo Russell,” a/k/a “Dario Rolle,” were arrested overseas on Monday.  LUIS FERNANDO OROZCO-TORO was arrested overseas yesterday. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.     It was Curtis and Roker who were arraigned on January 8, both with retained (paid) counsel.  On April 8 a man identified as Ulrique Jean Baptiste was arraigned. His CJA lawyer had been assigned to represent another named defendant, Theodore Nathaniel Adderley, apparently (still?) not in detention. Judge Woods said his deputy would fix it with a minute order - and set this defendant, "this human," on for June 30. On October 10, a new co-defendant was brought in and detained on consent, Lorielmo Steele-Pomare. On October 24, a change of plea (to guilty) "Change of Plea Hearing, Martin Lawrence Roth representing Darrin Alexander Roker (Defendant)" then he pled guilty, with sentencing set for January 21 at 11 am. On December 29 in a repetitive sentencing submission Roker's counsel asked for supervised release, noting his health and that he will be removed to the Bahamas. On January 14, in the run up to his January 21 sentencing, the US on Roker with a redaction asked for five years, not the 10 year guideline. Roker was sentenced to 48 months: four years. Following a May 12 plane crash off Florida, on May 14 SDNY Chief Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn signed a Complaint against Jonathan Eric Gardiner a/k/a "Player" citing a Bahamas politician and more - Complaint on Patreon here. Inner City Press will stay on the case(s).   The overall case is USA v. Curtis, et al., 1:24-cr-655 (Woods) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com SDNY Press Room 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2025 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com