Religious group sues state to get man accused in drug ring out of prison
Updated: Feb 22, 2017 - 8:36 PM


A religious group is suing the state of Florida on behalf of a man investigators called the ringleader of a marijuana-smuggling organization.

Terence Turbe is now serving a 12-year sentence after pleading no contest to drug trafficking and money-laundering charges in Orange County last year.

But his religious group claims the state had no right to prosecute him.

In 2013, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation agents hit a warehouse and suspected stash houses in Orange County.

They arrested 50 people in a multimillion dollar Jamaican drug-smuggling ring, including suspected ring leader Mark Reed--at least that's the name he was using then.


While awaiting sentencing, he was arrested again using the name McKoy Smith after drug dogs hit on his car. Deputies found $300,000.

He was eventually prosecuted under the name Terence Turbe.

A group out of Chicago called the Moorish Science Temple of America is suing the state, the governor and court officials on behalf of Turbe, calling him Mckoy Smith El.

“They have no jurisdiction over anything with the Moorish Science Temple of America," said Grand Sheik l. Love el, a leader of the group.

He said the temple is a "body politic" and members are a protected class of people in a religious society not subject to the laws of the country or state of Florida.

"Groups like this have their own court systems, their own laws,” said WFTV legal analyst Belvin Perry.

Perry compared the group to self-proclaimed sovereign citizens, who are known to clog the court system and make similar claims to not fall under U.S. laws.

"Different name, different group, but same basic fundamentals,” said Perry.

It's a comparison the temple insists is inaccurate.

The grand sheik said the group has filed suit in hopes of getting Turbe released.

"Return him to his society, his religious society, which is the Moorish Science Temple of America," Love el said

Scorsese,

The 3 fugitive guys out of Detroit used this Moorish stuff in court before they skipped town....with the Mr.Howard Cunningham Grand Poobah hats on...


Interesting defense that more and more suspects are using.

Good call Gets was thinking of the guys from detroit as i read that also i think one of the guys is getting a new trial now that i think bout it its on scotts site not one of the brothers but the other guy

CT, thanks..yeah Proge is gonna get a new trial. Crazy case. If I saw a film depicting that story, I'd boo at the screen and scream "B.S. that's too unbelievable !"

Some drug traffickers in baltimore used this tactic, it got them off death row at least. Its mostly just a stalling tactic.

Thanks,Scorsese.
Heard about people using it but never about it being a successful defense. Gonna read about the B-more case. I also wonder if Native Americans have used this type of defense in American court system.