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Convicted felon arrested for trafficking enough fentanyl to kill more than 50K people: HCSO

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  September 17, 2024 4:55pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

TAMPA, Fla. - A man was arrested early on Tuesday morning after deputies say they found drugs and a gun during a routine traffic stop.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says deputies conducted a traffic stop near Interstate 75 North and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard just after 3 a.m. A passenger in the car told law enforcement that he had a history of methamphetamine usage and had a torch between his legs.

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 

HCSO says a K9 conducted an open-air sniff of the vehicle, and alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics.

According to officials, they found a Springfield Hellcat pistol, a digital scale, and three different drugs, which were later identified as marijuana, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.

The passenger, 38-year-old Ryan Edward Starr, was charged with:

  • Possession of cannabis less than 20 grams
  • Armed trafficking in fentanyl (28 grams or more)
  • Armed trafficking in amphetamine (14-28 grams)
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia
  • Possession of firearm during commission of a felony

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 

"I commend our deputies for their proactive patrol in our community," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "This potentially routine traffic stop removed enough fentanyl to kill 51,500 people from our streets and ensures this dangerous man can no longer spread this poison here in Hillsborough County."

The sheriff's office says Starr is a convicted felon in Florida.

The investigation is ongoing.

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