Lorenzo Heatrice, a 70-year-old Marianna resident, was found guilty by a federal jury on charges related to methamphetamine distribution. The charges included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The conviction was based on activities identified in 2023, when Heatrice was shown to be involved in methamphetamine distribution. Evidence presented during the trial described Heatrice's collaboration with other drug traffickers in Marianna, Florida, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine from June 2023 to April 2024. He was also found to have made two drug sales to a confidential informant in September 2023.
The successful prosecution resulted from a collaborative effort involving the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch.
Sentencing for Heatrice is set for July 11, 2025, and will take place at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, under Chief United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case is part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide initiative aiming to combat illegal immigration and target criminal organizations. The initiative seeks to protect communities from violent crime by utilizing resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 such offices across the country, functioning under the Attorney General’s direction. Public court documents can be accessed online via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida’s website.