Jacksonville man sentenced to 35 years for leading violent d...

Nathaniel Hatcher III, a 30-year-old Jacksonville resident, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his role as the leader of a drug trafficking organization and his involvement in a drive-by shooting on Interstate 95. U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger also ordered Hatcher to forfeit $2.2 million, which represented proceeds from the drug operation. Hatcher pleaded guilty in September 2025.

According to court documents, Hatcher led a drug trafficking group that moved large quantities of marijuana from Northern California to Jacksonville over an eight-year period. The drugs were transported by various means including commercial airlines, mail shipments, and vehicles crossing state lines. Once in Jacksonville, the organization stored and distributed marijuana from short-term rental homes. Firearms were kept at these locations for protection during drug sales.

Hatcher also engaged in acts of violence connected to the organization's activities. He used former corrections officer Desmond Maxwell to purchase firearms illegally for himself and other members of the group.

The laundering of drug proceeds was managed by Hatcher with help from Yaquasia Delcarmen. Together, they funneled more than $2 million through sham business accounts into bank accounts controlled by Hatcher and spent these funds on personal items.

On September 18, 2023, after a failed marijuana transaction resulted in the theft of approximately $45,000 from Hatcher and James Toney at a gas station in Jacksonville, Hatcher sought retaliation against those involved. He obtained their identities and addresses through a former police officer who accessed law enforcement databases illegally. Over the next month, Hatcher's group tracked and surveilled the individuals responsible for the theft.

On October 15, 2023, two cars were stolen from a rental lot at Jacksonville International Airport by Briyhon Johnson and Toney as part of preparations for retaliation. Two days later, after following one of the robbery suspects leaving Duval County courthouse with a female companion, members of Hatcher's group pursued them onto I-95 southbound toward St. Johns County using multiple vehicles-including one of the stolen cars.

At around 11:20 a.m., Toney and Hatcher fired dozens of rounds at the Mercedes sedan carrying their target and his companion while driving alongside it on I-95. The male driver was shot but survived; his passenger sustained injuries from broken glass but was not hit by gunfire.

After Hatcher's arrest in February 2024, Delcarmen continued drug trafficking activities under his direction. During this time, Hatcher instructed witnesses and co-conspirators to evade or mislead law enforcement and destroy evidence.

Several co-conspirators have already been sentenced or pleaded guilty:

- Tavarius Blue: Sentenced to 12 years
- Yaquasia DelCarmen: Sentenced to 8 years
- Al'Donta Easterling: Sentenced to 10 years
- Darion Jerido: Sentenced to six years and six months
- Briyhon Johnson: Sentenced to fourteen years and three months

Others await sentencing or face significant penalties related to their roles in conspiracy or violent crimes.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated: "Hatcher and his drug crew planned and executed a brazen drive-by shooting in broad daylight on I-95, putting dozens of law-abiding Americans in danger of losing their lives… Now, he will spend decades in federal prison where he can no longer terrorize the Jacksonville community thanks to the combined efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who investigated and prosecuted this case."

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe commented: "The tenacious work by our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in this case ensured that the members of this drug trafficking organization were brought to justice… We will continue to leverage our resources, whenever necessary, to protect our communities from violence and harm."

HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent Tim Hemker said: "This case demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to protect our communities from the dangers posed by drug trafficking and violent crime… The dismantlement of this violent drug trafficking organization and the sentencing of these defendants will have a lasting impact on the safety of our community."

Ron Loecker with IRS Criminal Investigation added: "The judge delivered a punishment that matches the danger this defendant posed to communities… The message is simple: profit from poison, and you pay for it. IRS CI and our partners will follow the money across jurisdictions to shut down traffickers and every coconspirator who launders their profits."

The investigation involved multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Clay County Sheriff's Office, and Florida Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America-a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration as well as cartels and transnational criminal organizations-combining resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).