Austin Broker Arrested On Drug Distribution Conspiracy Charges

Austin commercial real estate broker Justin Mark Bayne, 45, was arrested in late November on charges that he participated in building a high-end cocaine distribution enterprise, according to KXAN.

Bayne was taken into custody on charges of criminal conspiracy, a second-degree felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, according to court records. As of press time, it hadn’t been reported whether Bayne has been released from custody.

According to his now-deleted LinkedIn page, Bayne has worked on nearly half a billion dollars in CRE transactions. This claim couldn’t be independently verified.

The arrest affidavit reportedly says Bayne regularly purchased cocaine and introduced several prominent associates to an accused drug dealer in a concierge-style network.

This operation apparently catered to wealthy clientele like doctors, executives and members of the entertainment industry. Investigators estimate that Bayne’s introductions led to at least $47,097 in cocaine transactions, according to the affidavit. 

Bayne has served as president of Bayne Commercial, a leasing company that began operations in 2018. Bayne was also co-founder of executive suite company Firmspace, but he now has no ownership stake in the company.

The Texas Real Estate Commission website says his brokerage license expired in 2023. 

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s warrant for Bayne’s arrest says he had a supplier-buyer relationship with Uthman “Tobi” Oluwatobi Salisu, who authorities described as a known cocaine distributor in Austin. 

Salisu is being held at Travis County Jail on five first-degree felony charges of money laundering and four counts of manufacturing/delivering a controlled substance.

The department’s crime unit began investigating Salisu earlier this year and arrested him in September following a process of surveillance and drug buys by undercover police.

The investigation uncovered several months of communications between Salisu and Bayne, with Bayne often initiating contact to arrange drug pickups and to transfer payments. Venmo records reportedly reveal at least 40 transactions between July 23-25, adding up to more than $10K in drug payments, according to CBS Austin. 

Bayne is next due to appear in court on Jan. 21, according to Travis County’s criminal docket.