Man Admits to Laundering Cocaine Money Through Casinos

A Pensacola man has pleaded guilty to various charges, the US Attorney’s Office announced on June 27, naming Rayvaughn Andrews as the person behind a cocaine trafficking scheme that saw the ill-gotten money from drug sales be laundered through casinos.

Andrews Faces Life Imprisonment for His Actions

Andrews has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as money laundering, and he is now facing decades in prison, or possibly a life sentence, upon sentencing.

In a statement, US Attorney John Heekin said: “Those who think they can profit and live lavish lifestyles off drug trafficking in the Northern District of Florida are sorely mistaken and will soon find themselves in federal prison.”

Andrews, this does not act on his own but conspired with others to move the money through casinos, after earning millions selling drugs between 2021 and 2024. Andrews and others have now been found guilty of having laundered more than $10 million across casinos in Mississippi and Nevada.

According to the official statement from the prosecutor’s office, the drugs sold were moved across the streets of Escambia County, Florida, and the operation was fairly localized.

Drugs Are Sold on Casino Floors Despite Risks to Everyone

Yet, the drugs moved involved “kilogram brick quantities” that hit the streets of the county and generated revenue in the millions.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and other local law enforcement outfits.

In 2024, a man was sentenced to eight years for selling fentanyl and cocaine on the floor of the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.