Florida Man Charged in Drug Smuggling Scheme Targeting State Prisons

MIAMI, Fla. — A Florida man with alleged ties to the ZOE Pound Gang has been arrested and charged for orchestrating a drug smuggling and recruitment operation aimed at Florida state prisons.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced that 52-year-old Dimy Paraison of Miami faces multiple charges related to the scheme. The 15-month investigation began in June 2024, after the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office (SRCSO) requested FDLE’s assistance in probing drug smuggling activities connected to several prison visits.

According to investigators, Paraison acted as a recruiter, enlisting individuals to smuggle narcotics and contraband into multiple Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities across Northwest Florida. Authorities identified him as an associate of the ZOE Pound Gang, a known Haitian criminal street organization.

During the course of the investigation, agents and DOC staff seized:

387 grams of substituted cathinones (bath salts)
1.2 kilograms of marijuana
190 grams of Spice (synthetic cannabis)
123 LSD strips
180 grams of methamphetamine
500 grams of tobacco
4 cell phones

In February 2025, Paraison was stopped by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) while en route to make a contraband drop at a DOC facility. He attempted to flee but was captured following a vehicle pursuit and later booked into the Alachua County Jail.

Last month, agents formally charged Paraison with:

Continuing a Criminal Enterprise (Life Felony)
Introduction of Contraband (2nd Degree Felony)
Conspiracy to Introduce Contraband (3rd Degree Felony)
Conspiracy to Traffic Controlled Substances (1st Degree Felony)
Trafficking in Controlled Substances (Substituted Cathinone) (1st Degree Felony)
Trafficking in Controlled Substances (Methamphetamine) (1st Degree Felony)
Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Cannabis (3rd Degree Felony)
Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Facilitate a Felony (3rd Degree Felony)
Money Laundering (3rd Degree Felony)

Paraison’s bond was set at $1.5 million, and the case will be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing and active.

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