Pair charged with drug trafficking, allegedly arranged from Alachua County Jail

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gregorio Ivan Badillo, 42, has been arrested and Jorge Enrique Quinones Silva, 42, who was already in custody, has additional charges following an investigation of cocaine sales that were allegedly arranged from the jail.

Quinones Silva was arrested in May on felony domestic battery charges against his wife and was being held on $380,000 bail. While he was in jail, recordings of his phone conversations with his wife (which were themselves violations of his pre-trial release condition to have no contact with his victim) were reviewed, and Quinones Silva allegedly gave his wife instructions on how to sell cocaine on his behalf, including details on how to package it and consign it to Badillo, who would bring her Quinones Silva’s cut of the proceeds.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputy interviewed Quinones Silva’s wife, who was cooperative and said Quinones Silva had told her to give Badillo, their next door neighbor in Linton Oaks, some of the cocaine and that Badillo would give her half the money from the sale. She said Badillo was supposed to sell the cocaine for $1200 and give her $600.

The deputy obtained a search warrant for Quinones Silva’s apartment, and the search reportedly produced over 150 grams of cocaine, scales, several cell phones, some cash, some counterfeit currency, and ammunition. A search of Badillo’s apartment found two rifles, several cell phones, over 50 grams of cocaine, cash, three handguns, and ammunition. Post Miranda, Badillo said all the items in his apartment were his except for four of the firearms, which he said he was storing for Quinones Silva. Both Badillo and Quinones Silva are convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms.

Markings on the bags containing cocaine matched instructions that were given verbally during the phone call from the jail, leading to charges of conspiring to traffic drugs.

Badillo has been charged with six counts of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of drug equipment, possession of cocaine within 1000 feet of a school, conspiracy to traffic marijuana, trafficking cocaine, maintaining a structure for trafficking drugs, and using a 2-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He is being held on $455,000 bail.

Quinones Silva is currently serving a 60-day sentence for violating his pre-trial release conditions by calling his wife; he is also charged with violation of his pre-trial release conditions, petit theft, battery after a prior battery conviction, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and obstructing justice in the May case; and two counts of using a 2-way communication device to facilitate a felony, money laundering, possession of cocaine within 1000 feet of a school, maintaining a structure for trafficking drugs, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, manufacturing cocaine within 1000 feet of a school, possession of drug equipment, conspiracy to traffic marijuana, and trafficking cocaine. He will be held on $785,000 bail on those charges once his sentence is complete.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.