Crestview Drug Traffickers Indicted

Pensacola, Florida - Arzalea Teshean McLaughlin, 37, Benjamin Eugene Mack, 54, and Roger Cornell Daniels, 37, all of Crestview, Florida, have been indicted in federal court on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base, conspiracy to commit unlawful use of communications facility, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.

McLaughlin, Mack and Daniels appeared in federal court for their arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

If convicted as charged, McLaughlin and Mack face a minimum mandatory of 10 years' imprisonment, and up to life in prison, and Daniels faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years' imprisonment, and up to a total of 74 years' imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.