A man found guilty Oct. 31 of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28 grams) has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Conrad Raymond Forrence, 36, of Panama City Beach, will serve the first 7 years of that as a minimum-mandatory sentence under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes.
Prosecutors sought for the defendant to be sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender based on previous convictions for Trafficking in Amphetamine, Burglary, and Possession of Methamphetamine. At the Nov. 12 sentencing, Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young also ordered a $100,000 fine.
Prosecutors presented 6 witnesses and evidence at trial proving the defendant drove to Pensacola on July 11, 2023, to pick up the methamphetamine and bring it back to Bay County. The evidence showed the defendant expected ¼ ounce of the drug as payment.
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Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division pulled over the defendant for speeding and other traffic violations that night. Inv. Doug Cummings’ K-9 “Fila” conducted a free air sniff around the vehicle and alerted for the presence of narcotics.
During a search of the car, Lt. Doug Smith noticed smudges on the cover near the “air handler” under the hood. Investigators focused their search and found a black bag attached to the firewall with a strong magnet. In that bag they found 5 packages, each holding about 1 ounce of methamphetamine.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its work.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.