A Port St. Lucie man was sentenced on May 7 to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fentanyl trafficking and a related firearm offense.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address the dangers posed by fentanyl distribution and its connection with firearms, which officials say threatens public safety.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced Juneem Jermain Barnes, 34, after he admitted attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, Barnes tried to receive a parcel containing at least 15,000 counterfeit pills pressed to resemble pharmaceutical oxycodone but actually containing fentanyl. During a search of his home, law enforcement found another parcel with similar pills, three pounds of marijuana, over $35,000 in cash, a money counting machine, packaging materials for narcotics distribution, and a Glock Model 19X handgun near the cash.
“Fentanyl is killing Americans every day, and those who distribute it are fueling that crisis for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant trafficked thousands of counterfeit pills designed to look like legitimate prescription medication and kept a loaded firearm alongside drug proceeds and distribution tools. That combination of fentanyl and firearms is a direct threat to public safety. In South Florida, if you poison our communities for profit, you will be prosecuted and sent to federal prison.”
Law enforcement agencies involved included the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division (West Palm Beach District Office), U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division; Federal Bureau of Investigation West Palm Beach Resident Agency; St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office; Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; Palm Beach Gardens Police Department; and Jupiter Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil cases for the government across about 15,197 square miles serving more than seven million people through multiple offices in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West under the U.S Department of Justice according to the official website.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted this case.
