A Bradenton man arrested in June 2016 by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office on drug trafficking charges has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison.
On June 26, 2016, deputies stopped 43-year-old Jarvis Thomas 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, deputies recovered the bag in a nearby parking lot. The bag contained 69 grams of methamphetamine and more than 3 grams of heroin. Through continued investigation, detectives learned Thomas may be storing illegal narcotics at his Bradenton home. 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.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Thomas 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 the .25 caliber firearm, seven rounds of ammunition, and $23,486 traceable to proceeds of the offense. The outcome of this investigation is thanks to a collaborative effort by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Bradenton Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.