PANAMA CITY — Federal prosecutors have filed charges against four Panama City men and two Atlanta people for an alleged narcotics trafficking scheme, officials announced Thursday.
Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment Wednesday charging six individuals with narcotic and firearm offenses.
The indictment charges that John Matthew Love, 36; Mabrye Joseph Bettinger, 41; Bryant Anthony Kreis, 32; Dusti Nicole Broxson, 26; all from the greater Panama City area, along with Anastacio Mendoza, 37; and Carmen Theresa Silva, 39; from Atlanta, were involved in a conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine throughout Florida and elsewhere.
The indictment alleged the conspiracy began about July 1 and continued until Sept. 21, when warrants were served on the suspects.
Love, Bettinger, Kreist and Broxson also were charged with possessing distribution quantities of methamphetamine and authorities said Love was in possession of a Kel-Tec 9 millimeter handgun to further the drug trafficking.
Details in the case have been redacted from court documents.
The indictment results from an investigation by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Panama City and Montgomery, Ala., the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Risinger is prosecuting the case.