A man arrested after a traffic stop led to Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies finding about 5 ounces of methamphetamine hidden with a magnet in the engine compartment was found guilty of trafficking Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Conrad Raymond Forrence, 36, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty as charged of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28 grams). Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young set sentencing for Nov. 12.
Prosecutor J.P. Ferreira is seeking to have the defendant sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender. Forrence faces a minimum-mandatory 7 years sentence but could get up to life in prison under Florida’s HFO statute.
Ferreira called 6 witnesses and presented evidence that 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.
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.
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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 producing another case where a large amount of drugs were seized before they hit the street. He also commended Lt. Smith for noticing the smudges that led to finding the drugs.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.