Lexington True Crime 2023: Two drug suspects indicted after lengthy investigation

The following is an excerpt from an FBI criminal complaint in the case of USA v. Zamora & Floyd. Both men were indicted in Lexington on Thursday, April 6, 2023. An indictment is merely an allegation and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty at trial.

On 02/14/2023 your affiant was contacted by a qualified confidential informant (QCI) who advised that a subject, wanted to send his courier to deliver a quantity of cocaine to the QCI in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The QCI advised that this delivery was to occur on or about 02/17/2023.

The meet location would be at a McDonalds located in Lexington on or about noon on Friday 02/17/2023.

Your affiant and several assisting investigators set up surveillance in the area and your affiant instructed the QCI to view the cocaine but to not take any. At approximately 1150 hours a male Hispanic, who was later identified as Juan Carlos Zamora-Marchan, arrived in a brown Chevy Equinox and parked right next to your affiant. After Zamora parked, he pulled up his hoodie and placed a covid mask over his mouth and nose. Zamora remained in the vehicle and appeared to be looking around a lot and appeared nervous.

The QCI had already parked at the McDonalds. After several minutes Zamora pulled from the parking spot and contacted QCI. Zamora showed the QCI a large quantity of suspected cocaine. QCI was advised that kilograms of cocaine were $27,000.

The QCI and Zamora left the area and Zamora was followed away by investigators. The QCI advised that Zamora had the cocaine wrapped up in a white plastic bag.

Your affiant and assisting investigators followed Zamora to the Crystal Springs Apartment complex located at 1340 Alexandria Drive. A LPD Detective pulled into the parking lot as Zamora did and observed Zamora exit the Chevy Equinox carrying the white plastic bag. Zamora took the bag into an apartment #6xxx in building #6 Your affiant and assisting investigators waited in the area to see if Zamora was making a quick stop or if he appeared to be staying. Zamora appeared to be staying so surveillance was terminated at this time.

On Sunday 02/19/2023 your affiant went to the Crystal Spring Apartments to conduct surveillance on apartment #6xxx, which is the apartment Zamora previously returned to with the cocaine. At approximately 1800 hours your affiant observed Zamora exit apartment #6xxx and stand outside the apartment door smoking a cigarette and talking on the phone. Zamora was outside the apartment for several minutes. Your affiant noticed a Red Chevrolet pickup truck parked right in front of apartment #6xxx.

Your affiant ran the registration plate on the truck, and it returned registered to Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora with an address of 1340 Alexandria Drive #6xxx, Lexington Kentucky.

Your affiant checked the Lexington Police Department database and located a previous contacts with Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora. On 04/06/2019 Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora was arrested for DUI. During this Police contact Zamora listed his address as 1340 Alexandria Drive #6xxx, Lexington Kentucky. Your affiant then checked the Fayette County Jail website and located several images of Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora. Your affiant confirmed that Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora was the subject who had delivered the cocaine to the QCI. Your affiant also showed a photo of Juan Carlos Marchan Zamora to the QCI and he/she confirmed that it was the subject who was attempting to sale the cocaine for the Mexico based source of supply.

On Wed. 02/22/2023 your affiant was contacted by QCI who advised that he/she had received a message from the source of supply wanting to deliver the kilograms of cocaine on the 22nd. QCI did not answer the message and called your affiant who advised that the transaction was to occur on the 23rd.

On 03/01/2023 the source of supply contacted QCI and advised that the load of cocaine had arrived in Lexington. The source of supply advised that his courier would deliver two kilograms of cocaine to the McDonald’s, located on Georgetown Road, Lexington Ky. This is the same way the earlier kilogram showing went on 02/17/2023.

Since this first meeting your affiant has conducted extensive surveillance on Zamora. It appears that Zamora is working as a maintenance worker at an apartment complex on Hollow Creek Drive. There is no doubt that Zamora is living at 1340 Alexandria Drive #6xxx your affiant has observed his vehicles there at all hours of the day and night and has observed him coming and going on multiple occasions. Your affiant has also conducted surveillance very late into the night and returned very early the next morning and Zamora was still at the target apartment.

On 03/02/2023 your affiant and several assisting investigators set up surveillance on Zamora at his residence at 1340 Alexandria Drive #6xxx.

Zamora left the apartment and went to Hollow Creek where he works at an apartment complex doing maintenance. The delivery time was subsequently adjusted to a later time.

On 03/02/2023 your affiant and assisting investigators maintained surveillance on Zamora as he worked at an apartment complex on Hollow Creek. At approximately 1700 hours Zamora left the apartment complex with the same plastic bag that he carried out of his residence this morning. Investigators followed Zamora to an address on Whitney Avenue where he backed into the driveway. Investigators lost sight of Zamora momentarily but took up surveillance positions around the Whitney Ave address. After a minute or two a LPD Detective observed Zamora exit the residence and get into his Equinox. Investigators followed Zamora who drove directly to the pre-determined meeting location at the McDonalds on Georgetown Road. Zamora pulled into the gas station which is connected to the McDonalds lot and parked at a gas pump. Zamora exited his vehicle and began walking around the lot while talking on his cell phone. After Zamora got off of the phone the QCI called your affiant and advised that he/she had just received a phone call and Zamora was at the meeting location with the two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators then contacted Zamora after he got back into his vehicle. Zamora had 2 kilograms of suspected cocaine in a shoe box in the back seat of his vehicle. Zamora was arrested at that time.

Investigators immediately went back to the area of the Whitney Avenue address to maintain surveillance as this appeared to be the address that Zamora obtained the seized cocaine from. There was a grey Dodge pickup truck in the driveway which was present when Zamora was at the residence. After a couple of minutes Justin Floyd exited the residence and got into the truck and left the area. Floyd was followed away by investigators and stopped for a traffic violation away from the residence. A qualified and trained Narcotics K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the Dodge truck and it was subsequently searched by investigators. Floyd had several thousand dollars in his pockets and several more thousand dollars in the center console of the truck. Your affiant checked the Fayette County property valuation website and it listed Justin Floyd as the owner of the Whitney Avenue address.

It is your affiant’s belief that the 2 kilograms of cocaine Zamora had in his possession came from the Whitney Avenue, address. This is based upon Zamora leaving his residence on the morning of 03/02/2023 with a small bag which appeared to be a packed lunch. Zamora went to work at his maintenance job at an apartment complex and left at 1700 hours with what appeared to be the same small plastic bag. Zamora drove directly to the Whitney Avenue address and was only inside for a couple minutes before leaving the residence and driving directly to the meet spot where he was arrested with the 2 kilograms of cocaine. Based upon the texture, color, and packaging it is your affiant’s belief as well as the belief of other investigators that this an amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

On 03/02/2023 your affiant and assisting Detectives executed a search warrant at Floyd’s residence at the Whitney Avenue address. During the search of the residence Detectives located a tool bag hidden inside Floyd’s box springs under his mattress. There was a large hole cut in the box spring cover where this tool bag was concealed. Inside this bag was a large baggie which contained approximately 140 grams of cocaine and several other plastic baggies which contained approximately 12 ounces of suspected fentanyl. Next to the bed was the bedroom closet where Detective Florence located a box which contained a kilo press, blender, latex gloves, cutting agents, and a notebook ledger. Based upon the texture, color, and packaging it is your affiant’s belief, as well as the belief of other investigators, that this an amount of cocaine and an amount of fentanyl, both Schedule II controlled substances.

Floyd also had a large bag of rubber bands which are typically used to bundle bulk currency. I often see rubber bands stored in this fashion by mid to upper level drug traffickers because they are counting and processing large amounts of cash from drug sales. Floyd had $3,960 cash in his jacket pocket, $4,905 cash in his center console of his vehicle, $7,751 cash in a book bag in the truck, and another $2,245 cash in his left pants pocket. Floyd also had two cell phones on his person. It was clear that the bedroom in xxx Whitney Ave. belonged to Floyd, it had men’s clothing and his mother told investigators that that bedroom belonged to her son Justin Floyd. Investigators also located mail matter inside xxx Whitney Ave. which was address to Justin Floyd at xxx Whitney Ave.

I asked another Detective to complete the citation for Floyd as I was not present at the traffic stop. This Detective advised that he took the citation to Floyd and started to explain to him what he was being charges with. Floyd cut this Detective off and told him that he knew what was inside his house.

Further, it is affiant’s opinion that on or about March 2, 2023, 2022, in Fayette County, in the Eastern District of Kentucky, Juan Carlos Zamora Marchan and Justin Floyd did knowingly and intentionally conspire to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) all in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846.

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Photo: Stock photo of a drug dealer. (Adobe Stock)