TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has secured a 27-year prison sentence for Robert Cox, a fentanyl trafficker involved in transporting hundreds of grams of the drug into Florida. Cox was identified as the ringleader and primary source within a drug-trafficking organization. During the investigation, authorities discovered over 306 grams of fentanyl in Cox’s vehicle.
Attorney General Ashley Moody stated, “This ringleader of a drug-trafficking organization transported and supplied enough fentanyl to kill more than 150,000 people. Floridians, please know illicit fentanyl is extremely potent; just 2 milligrams is a lethal dose, and this poison is killing more than 70,000 Americans every year. I am grateful for our law enforcement partners’ strong interdiction efforts in this case and to our Statewide Prosecutors for securing a 27-year prison sentence.”
The investigation was conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tampa Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. These agencies began investigating the drug-trafficking organization operating in the Tampa Bay region and distributing fentanyl. Law enforcement utilized a confidential source and an undercover federal officer to purchase trafficked fentanyl from Cox on multiple occasions.
An undercover agent arranged a meeting with Cox during which he delivered an ounce of fentanyl. Cox then informed the agent that he could obtain more potent fentanyl. After leaving to retrieve additional supplies, Cox returned to Florida where his vehicle was stopped by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) in Sumter County. FHP found a vacuum-sealed bag under the rear passenger seat containing over 306 grams of fentanyl.
Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Luis Aguila and Ryan Shaw prosecuted the case.