PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has handed down lengthy federal prison sentences to three men involved in a brutal drug trafficking and kidnapping scheme.
Mario Espino, 25, of Holiday, was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months; Jacob James Guest, 24, also of Holiday, received a 20-year sentence; and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young, 25, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 25 years. All three had previously pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents, the trio conspired to kidnap a drug trafficker with whom Espino had a prior working relationship. Espino lured the victim to Florida under the guise of settling an outstanding drug debt.
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Upon the victim’s arrival at Espino’s residence, Espino, Guest, and Young subjected him to an 18-hour ordeal of being bound, beaten, and tortured. During this time, the defendants demanded a ransom of 10 kilograms of fentanyl from the victim’s cartel drug sources.
The victim’s harrowing experience came to an end on October 11, 2023, when agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and deputies from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office conducted a rescue operation.
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Law enforcement located the victim in an abandoned vehicle, left behind by Espino, Guest, and Young as officers approached. The victim was discovered in the back seat with a pillowcase over his head and his wrists bound with zip ties and electrical cords.
In addition to rescuing the victim, authorities recovered a significant amount of contraband from the abandoned vehicle. This included 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, 100 grams of fentanyl, a firearm, and more than $10,000 in cash.
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