Eight People Charged in 23-Count Narcotics Trafficking and Felon in Possession Indictment

MIAMI - Seven residents of Florida were charged in a 23-count indictment for their respective involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and oxycodone. An eighth defendant was charged with being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.

Michael Donaldson, 37, of Clearview, Leo Gilbert 35, of Miami Gardens, Jamare Andre Gardner, a/k/a "Maury," 25, of Miami Gardens, Deshun Richard James, 36, Jose Albert Ruiz, 34, of Miami, Kim Whitehurst, a/k/a "A-Boy," 31, of Miami, and Hasani Nesbitt, a/k/a "Get Right," 45, of Miami Gardens, were charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. The indictment charges that cocaine, oxycodone and methamphetamine were distributed within 1,000 feet of south Florida schools. Donte Ike Gosha, 37, of Miami Gardens, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On July 29, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert were arrested in Miami-Dade County, Fla. On July 30, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert had their initial appearances on the indictment.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Chief Delma Noel-Pratt of the Miami Gardens Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.

The FBI, Miami Gardens Police Department, and ATF investigated the case. The Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force (SSVGTF), to include participants from the U.S. Secret Service, City of Miami Police Department, and Miami-Dade Police Department, provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Chattah is prosecuting the case.

An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This investigation was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region's drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation's illicit drug trafficking threats.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20282.

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