Executive Summary
- Rico Deville Buice (FBG Casino) was arrested by FBI and DEA agents in Forest Park, Georgia.
- Authorities seized 21 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately $380,000 in cash during the raid.
- Prosecutors are seeking to deny bail, citing flight risk and significant financial discrepancies.
- Buice is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Rico Deville Buice, a hip-hop artist known professionally as FBG Casino and identified as the brother of rapper Future, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl following a coordinated federal operation in Georgia. Buice was taken into custody on Friday, November 14, alongside co-defendant David Estevan Montillo Diaz, after agents from the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a raid at a residence in Forest Park.
According to federal court filings, law enforcement agents discovered substantial evidence of narcotics trafficking inside the rental property. Investigators reported the seizure of 21 kilograms of fentanyl, noting that at least one brick of the illicit substance was stamped with a Louis Vuitton logo. Additionally, agents recovered approximately $380,000 in cash. Prosecutors allege that $80,000 of this sum was found inside a Goyard bag that investigators linked to Buice through previous social media photographs.
The criminal complaint details that Buice attempted to flee the premises through a side exit as agents breached the property. In a statement released by the Department of Justice, Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, described the operation as a critical disruption of a deadly drug trafficking network, emphasizing the task force’s commitment to removing dangerous substances from the community.
Federal prosecutors have filed a motion to deny bail for Buice, arguing that he poses a serious flight risk. In support of this motion, authorities cited discrepancies between Buice’s reported monthly income of approximately $2,166 and his actual lifestyle, which reportedly includes ownership of a $4 million residence and multiple high-end vehicles. Prosecutors contend that the “totality of the circumstances” suggests the co-defendant, Diaz, was in the process of conducting a transaction with Buice at the time of the raid.
Legal Ramifications and Procedural Outlook
The charges levied against Buice carry severe statutory penalties, including a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, reflecting the federal government’s aggressive stance on fentanyl distribution. The prosecution’s focus on asset forfeiture and the disparity between reported income and lifestyle suggests a strategy aimed at establishing the financial mechanics of the alleged conspiracy. As the case proceeds to a detention hearing, the court will weigh the flight risk arguments against standard conditions of release. It is important to note that all individuals, including Buice and Diaz, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.