Two Men Indicted for Distributing Pounds of Methamphetamine

Ocala, Florida - Benjamin Omar Pearson, IV (31, Wildwood) and Cordell Brown (39, Belleview) have been charged by federal indictment with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pearson is charged with five counts, and Brown is charged with seven counts. Each faces an enhanced minimum penalty of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison on each of the counts due to each having two or more qualifying prior convictions for serious drug felony offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to the indictment and court records, over the course of five meetings between December 2025 and June 2026, Brown and Pearson, aiding and abetting each other, distributed approximately 9 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover source working with law enforcement. Additionally, Brown is charged with distribution of methamphetamine in two other transactions from September 16, 2025, and January 7, 2026.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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.