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Local drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison

Local drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WWSB) – In August, Erasmo Herrera was found behind a gas station with a “traffic amount” of methamphetamine. On Friday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

According to a news release from the State Attorney’s Office, Erasmo Herrera was sentenced to 10 years in prison as a habitual offender for a drug trafficking case in Charlotte County. He was found guilty of trafficking amphetamines – over 14 grams and possession or use of drug paraphernalia.

For these crimes, he was also sentenced to 5 years of post-prison probation, must also pay a $50,000 fine, and will be subject to random search and seizure by law enforcement to ensure he has no drugs in his possession .

He will also have a 10pm to 6am curfew while on probation.

According to the report, on August 1, 2023, a Punta Gorda police officer responded to a dispute in the back alley of a pizza restaurant on Tamiami Trail. Herrera was in the driveway with a woman when law enforcement arrived. While the officer was speaking with the woman, Herrera walked to the passenger side of the patrol vehicle and crouched down. Then he threw a pack of cigarettes into the grass. The officer took the pack of cigarettes and inside was a clear plastic bag containing crystal-like stones that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Herrera was taken into custody and upon searching the officer found a plastic bag in his pocket, which also contained methamphetamine and a pipe with narcotic residue inside.

The total weight of the drugs was 16.19 grams, this is a traffic amount.