JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and for possessing MDMA with the intent to distribute it.
Jamal Jason James, 40, pleaded guilty Dec. 12, 2025.
Officers respond to man lying in road
On July 29, 2024, The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to Ivy Street in Jacksonville after receiving a call about a man lying in the road. When officers arrived, they found James lying outside the open door of a vehicle he had been using.
While tending to James, officers spotted a small bag of a rock-like substance inside the vehicle. Laboratory testing later confirmed the substance was 6 grams of MDMA — an amount inconsistent with personal use. Officers placed James in handcuffs and searched him, finding more than $20,000 in cash on his person and inside the vehicle.
Jail calls reveal broader conspiracy
After his arrest, James was briefly held at the Duval County Jail, where he made a series of phone calls to Brian Brightman and Anthony Smokes. During those calls, James discussed finding and moving drugs stored in at least one trap house accessible to Brightman and Smokes.
The calls also included discussions about collecting drug debts owed to James by other members of the conspiracy. Brightman and Smokes have since pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses in related cases and are awaiting sentencing.
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