Vernell Syrethia Lawson, 33, a former Miami-Dade Correctional Officer, and Gabrielle Nicole Bess-Mills, 35, appeared in court on December 18 following the unsealing of an indictment accusing them of participating in a continuing criminal enterprise led by 31-year-old Terrance Carter.
The indictment alleges that Carter headed a drug trafficking organization that relied on Lawson and other Miami-Dade correctional officers to smuggle narcotics and contraband into county jail facilities, where they were sold as part of the enterprise’s operations.
Lawson and Bess-Mills face charges of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and racketeering involving bribery and drug trafficking. Lawson is additionally charged with Hobbs Act extortion for abusing her position of authority. Carter is accused of operating the criminal enterprise and using interstate facilities to commit acts of violence in furtherance of racketeering.
The defendants, all residents of Miami-Dade County, were arrested following a multi-agency investigation.
The case is the result of a task force led by the Miami-Dade Police and Corrections Departments, with support from federal, state, and local agencies, targeting drug trafficking operations within correctional facilities and the public officials who enable them.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, along with leaders from the Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, FBI, DEA, and the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, announced the charges.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr., and Trial Attorney Melanie G. Wegner, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda overseeing asset forfeiture.
Authorities emphasize that the investigation underscores their commitment to rooting out corruption and dismantling drug trafficking networks operating within Miami-Dade’s correctional system.
