Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, and Bryan Kummerlen, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, announce that Dewitt McDonald, 46, of Wellington, was sentenced today in Ft. Lauderdale by United States District Judge James I. Cohn to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. McDonald was also ordered to pay $25,810.00 in restitution. The defendant pled guilty on April 30, 2014, to carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). At the time of this offense, the defendant was a police officer with the West Palm Beach Police Department.

When he entered his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that, while he was employed as a police officer, the defendant operated two businesses: Prime Performance Wellness Centers, Inc., located in Lake Worth, and Prime Health and Rejuvenation Clinic, located in Wellington, through which he unlawfully distributed anabolic steroids and other prescription drugs. The defendant further admitted that, on March 5, 2013, while on duty and carrying his Smith & Wesson MP40 pistol, the defendant made a delivery of these drugs to someone in Palm Beach County.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and FDA-Office of Criminal Investigations. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the West Palm Beach Police Department for their cooperation and assistance in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.