Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies arrested three men suspected of shooting at a vehicle last week in a potential gang-related dispute.
Deputies responded to the RaceTrac, 8019 West U.S. Highway 192 on Feb. 19 around 11:30 p.m. and spoke with the 20-year-old victim who said he had just finished his shift at the business and was driving away when a gray four-door sedan with black rims blocked his vehicle in the parking lot. Two men exited the car and approached him, prompting the victim to drive away.
The sedan pursued him to Black Lake Road where the front passenger was window rolled down and multiple gunshots were fired at the victim’s vehicle. The suspects then fled, leaving behind six bullet holes in the car. The victim was not injured.
According to reports, two men had entered the RaceTrac earlier in the evening. One man allegedly told the victim, “You ain’t leave the right way.” The victim told deputies that he was formerly associated with the Crips gang during high school but had since distanced himself. He suspected that the individual who made the comment may have been involved in the shooting and later identified the suspects as Kymani Enwright, 24, of Poinciana and Erick Melton Jr., 21, and Zakarai Degrasse, 20, of Kissimmee.
Enwright later admitted to being involved in the shooting and identified other participants, including Melton, said reports. Both are allegedly members of the “Rollin 20 Crips” gang. A third suspected gang member was present and ordered the attack, said reports, but he has not been charged.
Degrasse, Enwright and Melton have been charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. Only Enwright remained in jail, held on a $15,000 bond, as of press time Tuesday.
Kissimmee man arrested in November 2024 ‘street takeover’
Last week, Florida Highway Patrol executed an arrest warrant for Kissimmee’s Adam Benouttas, 19, in relation to multiple area coordinated “street takeover” events.
Troopers say Benouttas was directly involved in a Nov. 30, 2024, coordinated incident at the intersection of John Young Parkway and Central Florida Parkway in south Orange County. This event caused significant disruption, harassment of other drivers and bystanders, and extensive property damage to multiple vehicles. Benouttas was identified as one of the primary “sliders,” performing dangerous stunt driving maneuvers such as doughnuts, in the intersection during the event.
According to FHP’s report, Benouttas has been charged with coordinating or facilitating street takeover, filming/ recording a street takeover, stunt driving, obstructing traffic for street takeover, aggravated rioting, inciting a riot and disorderly conduct.
Troopers advise not to engage if you encounter street racing or a takeover, and to call 911.
3 from Osceola sentenced in cocaine conspiracy ring Four men, three from Osceola County, have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in conspiring to distribute 89 kilograms of cocaine in central Florida. Each previously pleaded guilty.
Israel Miranda, 36, Kissimmee and Abiezer Laboy Lozada, 36, Orlando, were sentenced to 10 years in prison, Jorge Antonio Gonzalez de la Fuente, 31, St. Cloud, will serve 7 years, 3 months and Carlos Antonio Garcia-Garcia, 35, Kissimmee, earned five years. They also forfeited $464,031 in cash seizures.
According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022. On May 1, 2023, the DEA surveilled Miranda as he distributed drugs to Laboy Lozada in a parking lot. In this and similar meetings during the conspiracy, Laboy Lozada admitted to obtaining 20-30 kilograms of cocaine from Miranda. On Oct. 4, 2023, Miranda delivered a shoe box to Gonzalez de la Fuente, who delivered it to Garcia-Garcia. When law enforcement stopped Garcia Garcia’s vehicle, he was found to be carrying that same box containing a kilogram of cocaine.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Gonzalez de la Fuente met with his conspirators two or three times a month and was involved in distribution of 15 to 50 kilograms of cocaine. Gonzalez de la Fuente continued to engage in drug distribution after being charged federally and was detained when this was discovered.
On Oct. 13, 2023, Miranda delivered drug proceeds to an individual who was found to be transporting $262,257 in a brown paper bag. At the same time, Miranda texted a conspirator an image of the stacks of bills he was distributing with the message “should be 110k.” Similar enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of $51,989 from Miranda on Nov. 7, 2023, and $149,785 from Miranda on March 6, 2024. Over the course of the conspiracy, Miranda distributed drugs or drug proceeds reflecting distribution of more than 89 kilograms of cocaine.
