Four Alachua County residents arrested for federal drug-trafficking crimes

Press release from U.S. Department of Justice

Four residents of Alachua, Florida, have been arrested on federal criminal complaints alleging an armed drug-trafficking conspiracy. The criminal complaints were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The defendants arrested are:

• Lorenza Aaron Durr, Jr., 29, Alachua, Florida;
• Elboric Quadarius Robinson, 29, Alachua, Florida;
• Morris Robinson, 55, Alachua, Florida; and
• Roddrae Antonio Williams, 28, Alachua, Florida

The charged defendants face penalties of up to life imprisonment and fines of up to $5,000,000. The complaints and arrests resulted from an extensive investigation by the FBI Jacksonville Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force with support from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). This joint federal, state, and local cooperative targeted the “4K” drug trafficking organization that allegedly conspired to distribute various controlled substances including cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. During the operation, over 80 agents, officers, and other law enforcement personnel successfully made arrests and executed 5 search warrants on properties allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the University of Florida Police Department, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. The OCDETF approach to combating drug trafficking is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt and dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize its assets.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.