A 30-year-old man who was already a convicted felon has been sentenced to 75 years behind bars after a Sumter County jury found him guilty of numerous drug charges.
The trial of Ke’Andre Darvay Stokes, which began on Tuesday, concluded Wednesday with Judge Mary Hatcher sentencing him to 75 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, along with fining him $500,000. Stokes, who was on probation at the time of his initial arrest, is a three-time convicted felon with prior drug charges.
Stokes was arrested on June 2, 2021, after agents with the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team began an investigation into the overdose death of an individual. Officials with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office were notified and conducted a joint investigation.
During the investigation, authorities were able to set up a narcotics transaction with Stokes. During the communications, Stokes relayed an apartment address in The Villages to meet up for the sale of fentanyl. Members of the SCSO Special Investigations Squad and Marion County UDEST arrived at the location. While surveilling the area, law enforcement was able to observe Stokes exiting the apartment to conduct the sale.
Deputies placed Stokes under arrest. During a search, officials located 3.32 grams of fentanyl, a large amount of cash and the cell phone he was using to communicate with law enforcement.
A search warrant was also conducted at the apartment of Stokes’ girlfriend. A search turned up 28 grams of fentanyl, cannabis, and drug paraphernalia.
Assistant State Attorneys Donald McCathran and Daniel Geraghty prosecuted this case.