A man found guilty Wednesday of trafficking in a large amount of fentanyl was sentenced to 30 years in prison following the verdict, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
The jury that heard the evidence and testimony presented by Prosecutor Frank Sullivan took less than an hour to return its verdict against Jamie Laiquan Frazier, 43, of Panama City.
After the verdict, Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison. Under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes, the defendant will have to serve a minimum-mandatory 25 years of that sentence. He was also fined $500,000.
Sullivan called three witnesses – including Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators Trevor Lee and Thomas LaRoche – to prove the defendant set up a deal to sell Fentanyl on July 26, 2023.
Evidence showed the defendant set up the deal over the phone. He then arrived at the agreed upon location in Southport at the agreed upon time. Deputies made a probable cause traffic stop on the defendant, who did not have a valid driver’s license, and found about 67 grams of Fentanyl in his clothing.
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According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, dealers often mix the powerful and less expensive Fentanyl with other drugs, increasing the likelihood of an overdose because potency levels vary. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. A DEA analysis has found 42 percent of the counterfeit pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of the drug.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its proactive work in getting a large amount of the deadly drug off the streets before it could be sold.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.