Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison after trafficking drugs from Sarasota to Port Charlotte
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
State Attorney
Vincent Patrick Niles has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for Trafficking in Fentanyl – 14 grams or more. The trafficking charges requires the full 20 year minimum/mandatory sentence. He was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. The defendant was sentenced to 5 years in prison for Possession of Amphetamine and given credit time served for Possession of Paraphernalia. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
Assistant State Attorney Tracy Detzel and Assistant State Attorney Kyle Rozanski prosecuted the case.
This case involved the trafficking of drugs from Sarasota County to Charlotte County. In October 2023, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit began an investigation to intercept the drug transactions. The defendant was seen receiving illegal narcotics, as a drug mule, while meeting up with drug suppliers, in the parking lot of a major retail store, on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota.
The defendant picked up the drugs and then left the parking lot, proceeding onto I-75. As the defendant neared the off ramp at Exit 167 in Charlotte County, they accelerated and began speeding over the posted speed limit. A traffic stop was conducted and the defendant was searched. He had a syringe in his pocket and said it would test positive for heroin. A search of his pick-up truck was conducted and there were two locked boxes inside that contained methamphetamine. The defendant was arrested and the truck was towed.
As this was happening, deputies received information that there were more drugs in the truck that were hidden. Deputies met the truck just as the tow truck driver was pulling into the storage lot. A search warrant was obtained and that search revealed an entire hidden compartment, created beneath the cupholders in the center console. The whole section could be lifted up and inside was a plastic bag containing large quantities of Fentanyl and more methamphetamine.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director