A federal jury has convicted Tryon Metteria Byrd IV of Valrico for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced the verdict, which finds Byrd guilty of distributing these drugs from three residences in St. Petersburg. He faces a potential sentence ranging from five to 40 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for May 14, 2025.
Testimony during the trial revealed that Byrd sold drugs directly to undercover detectives from a residence owned by his family. His co-conspirators, Eric L. Lemon, Eric Lekent Lemon Jr., and Dominic Giannantonio, had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to varying prison terms: Lemon received 21 years and six months, Lemon Jr. four years and three months, and Giannantonio eleven years and three months.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Petersburg Police Department alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies.