Tallahassee, FL – A 70-year-old man, Lorenzo Heatrice, has been found guilty by a federal jury on charges related to methamphetamine distribution. Heatrice was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, along with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute the drug. The charges include one count involving five grams and another involving 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. The investigation, carried out by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, identified Heatrice as a methamphetamine distributor in 2023. Evidence presented at trial revealed that between June 2023 and April 2024, Heatrice conspired with other known traffickers in the Marianna, Florida area to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine within the community. In September 2023, Heatrice sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch prosecuted the case. Sentencing is set for July 11, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, presided over by Chief United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This conviction is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. The operation harnesses resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, one of 94 such offices across the nation, serves as the principal litigator under the Attorney General’s direction. For more information, visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida’s website.