Wiretaps, videos central to case against Flippa Mafia

Jamaican entertainer ‘Flippa Mafia’ was under video surveillance by United States (US) law enforcement agents when he and three other men allegedly engaged in the sale of various illegal drugs over a nine-month period, court documents have revealed.

The alleged sales of “delectable amounts” of cocaine, methamphetamine (meth) and fentanyl occurred in Pennsylvania and New Jersey between August last year and May this year, according to an affidavit filed by a special agent at the US Drug Enforcement Agency in the US District Court for New Jersey.

The affidavit was filed in support of a criminal complaint also filed in court.

‘Flippa’, or 'Flippa Moggla', born Andrew Davis; Clifford Brown, also Jamaican; James McBride; and Damion Jones are facing charges for “knowingly and intentionally” conspiring with each other and others to possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine; 500 grams of meth, and 400 grams of fentanyl, the criminal complaint alleges.

Brown was arrested on May 9 at his Pennsylvania home where law enforcement agents claim approximately two kilograms of suspected cocaine and ten pounds of suspected meth were also seized.

McBride was also arrested at his home in New Jersey where officials claim one kilogram of suspected cocaine was seized.

It was not disclosed when Flippa and Jones were arrested.

The affidavit of the DEA agent revealed details of one surveillance operation involving an alleged drug sale between Flippa and Jones on April 20 this year.

The agent alleged that about 12:41 p.m. that day the entertainer arrived at Brown’s home in his Mercedes Benz motor car and collected “an item” from his compatriot before leaving within minutes.

Two hours later, at 2:44 p.m. law enforcement agents intercepted an incoming telephone call to Flippa from Jones to allegedly discuss the drug deal.

‘Flippa’ allegedly gave an undertaking that “we’ll work it out” after Jones indicated that “I got twenty-four right now, though”, according to a transcript of the phone conversation.

 About 5:04 p.m. that afternoon, the entertainer drove to a restaurant Jones operates in New Jersey and telephoned him to indicate that he was at the back of the premises.

“Jones exited the Jones restaurant and approached Davis’ vehicle holding what appeared to be a weighted brown paper bag that Jones handed to Davis. A few minutes later, Jones reached in Davis’ vehicle and retrieved a large weighted multi-coloured bag, which Jones brought into the Jones restaurant,” the agent said in the affidavit.

“Based on my training, experience and knowledge of the investigation, I believe Jones provided $24,000 in US currency (“I got 24 right now”) to Davis in exchange for drugs of an unknown type within the weighted multi-colour bag,” the DEA agent alleged.

He disclosed that as part of the investigation, US Magistrate Judge Sharon King approved a search warrant from the dancehall artiste’s Apple iCloud account and wiretaps for two of his cell phones.

The agent alleged that data from Apple included a video dated August 1, 2025 in which Flippa “appears to be taking a video of bags that contain what appears to be large quantities of drugs of an unknown type”.

In one intercepted telephone call on March 7 this year, the agent claimed Flippa made reference to his 2016 conviction for drug-related offences before indicating that he did not want a leadership role in the drug operation.

“I am glad for my freedom,” the entertainer was quoted as saying on the intercepted call, making reference to his release from prison in 2022.

“I am not doing any boss thing because [EXHALES] the boss thing nearly give me life in prison. When they say you’re the boss, when you get in trouble, life they want to give you,” Flippa was allegedly quoted as saying in another transcript from the wiretap.

“So that’s why I don’t bother with the crowds and the many crews. Yeah, they are my friends and I love them and so on, but I can’t bother with it. Because I don’t want when the problem comes they try to take me down with organised crimes, organised gangs or none of these things. I am done with those things,” he was allegedly quoted as saying in another transcript.

The agent claimed, too, that in another telephone call with a female acquaintance about 3:36 p.m. on March 18 this year the "Floss King" indicated that “I’ve been wanting a Lambo” -- a reference to the Italian made super luxury sports car Lamborghini.

But according to him, Flippa was cautious, noting that he wanted to start a business first “because then I am going to draw extra attention to myself and if the heat comes and the problems come, you will hear that I’m an idiot”.

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