Polk County Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 18 Years

Tampa, FL – Wesley Anderson (Lakeland, 46) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle to 18 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Anderson pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, on January 4, 2024, Anderson was arrested outside of a Lakeland hotel pursuant to an unrelated warrant. The hotel manager asked officers to clear the room. The officers encountered a customer who was waiting for Anderson to return to purchase narcotics from him. A search of the room recovered a backpack with over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).