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Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison
- - Key Facts

Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

A Tampa, Florida man has been sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Carlos Sanchez, 29, a resident of Lakeland, Florida, pleaded guilty on December 1, 2014, to the charges. U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell handed down the sentence on the same day.

According to court documents, on March 9, 2014, officers from the Lakeland Police Department were dispatched to the Best Motel in Lakeland, where Sanchez had reportedly pointed a firearm at someone. After making contact with Sanchez, an LPD canine alerted to an odor of narcotics on the exterior of his car. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 caliber revolver and more than 134 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

Sanchez was previously convicted of multiple felonies in Polk County. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. The sentence is an example of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crimes in communities.

Sanchez’s crimes included:

1. Possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

2. Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

3. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The case number for this matter is not provided in the source.

Tampa, Florida, is the city in which Sanchez was sentenced.