A man found guilty of agreed to sell 16 ounces (448 grams) of methamphetamine to undercover deputies – he was arrested in possession of about 20 ounces (550+ grams) – has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Chase Zeller Steverson, 35, of Daleville, Ala., was found guilty Sept. 12 of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 200 grams), Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
“Thanks to the dedication and efforts of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division, another drug trafficker is locked up and off of our streets,” Prosecutor Josh James said after the trial. “This was a large amount of methamphetamine that never had a chance to get into the users’ hands.”
Bay County Sheriff’s Office case agent Sgt. Jeremy Head wrote a letter to Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson prior to sentencing sharing what he has seen methamphetamine do to the community.
He said it destroys lives and can be devastating for the children of addicts. Head said the trafficking causes a rise in crimes ranging from domestic violence and robbery, to prostitution and child neglect. “It is on the same scale if not worse than the Crack Cocaine epidemic of the 80s and 90s.”
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The defendant, he said, deserved a long sentence for bringing those drugs – more than 550 grams – into Bay County to be sold.
In addition to the 25-year sentence, Judge Stephenson ordered a $250,000 fine.
Witness testimony and evidence showed the defendant agreed to sell 16 ounces of methamphetamine on May 24, 2023, at a predetermined location.
Investigators found nearly 16 ounces (about 448 grams) of methamphetamine hidden in the false bottom of a bleach bottle. Another 4 ounces (about 112 grams) were found in a grocery bag in the back seat.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for being able to proactively seize the large amount of methamphetamine before it could be sold on the streets.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.