BLOUNTSTOWN – A Marianna man has been sentenced to 48 months in prison after a jury found him guilty of selling nearly 5 grams of methamphetamine during an undercover investigation, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
A 6-person jury took less than 10 minutes to return a guilty verdict for Sale of Methamphetamine against 35-year-old Royce Tracy Peaden Jr. after a 1-day trial Wednesday Sept. 30. Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young then sentenced the defendant to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 24 months’ probation.
Calhoun County Chief Prosecutor Joshua White called three witnesses – a Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office Investigator, a witness to the sale, and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab analyst. He also presented bodycam video of the transaction, photos and text messages to prove the case.
The evidence showed that the defendant agreed to sell 5 grams of methamphetamine to a Calhoun County resident on June 6, 2025, and drove from Marianna to do so.
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Video showed the defendant approaching the passenger’s window of another vehicle, where he was given $100. In return he placed a bag of Ranch-flavored Chester’s Fries onto the passenger’s seat of the buyer’s vehicle. Investigators monitoring the transaction checked the snack bag and found it contained a plastic baggie with 4.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Basford thanked Calhoun County Sheriff Michael Bryant and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for its work in building the case and gathering evidence that helped lead to a guilty verdict.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.