Bradenton Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced To More Than 17 Years In Federal Prison

Tampa, Florida– U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Jarvis Rodrick Thomas (43, Bradenton) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a .25 caliber Beretta firearm, seven rounds of ammunition, and $23,486 that are traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

Thomas pleaded guilty on September 5, 2017.

According to court documents, on June 26, 2016, a deputy from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) stopped Thomas in front of a Walgreens for driving with a suspended license. While the deputy was investigating the traffic stop, Thomas threw a black bag out of the car’s window. A short time after his arrest, another SCSO employee found the black bag in the Walgreens parking lot. The bag contained 20 small bags containing 69 grams of methamphetamine and 45 small bags containing 3.8 grams of heroin. Security video from the Walgreens showed Thomas throwing the bag out of the window, into the parking lot.

Following Thomas’s arrest, a SCSO detective learned that Thomas might be storing illegal narcotics at his home in Bradenton. SCSO detectives, in coordination with the Bradenton Police Department, executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence and recovered more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, 29 grams of heroin, a loaded .25 caliber Beretta handgun, and $23,486 in cash.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.