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Eastpoint man gets 10 years in prison for meth trafficking
A 55-year-old Eastpoint man, deemed a career criminal, has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to being part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Franklin County.
John E. Evans was sentenced last week to 10 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said Jason R. Coody, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, in announcing the sentence.
“This career criminal has demonstrated his unwillingness to abide by the law, committing repeated drug crimes. Given the outstanding work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, he will no longer be distributing drugs in our community,” said Coody.
Court documents reflect Evans conspired to distribute approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine along with other federal defendants. On Sept. 28, 2021, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office made a controlled purchase of 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Evans at a residence on CC Land Road in Eastpoint, and then on Oct. 9, 2021, a confidential source bought 46 grams of meth from Evans at a camper behind the former Hog Wild Bar B-Q restaurant outside Carrabelle.
Evans qualified as a career offender and had an enhanced mandatory minimum sentence based on his prior criminal history. He had previously been to prison on multiple occasions, primarily for drug-trafficking offenses and had 10 prior convictions involving the sale of a controlled substance, dating back to the mid 1990s.
“We are thankful for the partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith. “This kind of sentence sends a clear message that the sale of meth in our community will not be tolerated.”
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. McCain.
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and destructive substance. This sentence highlights our commitment to ensuring that those who bring this poison into our communities are brought to justice,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The DEA Miami Field Division remains steadfast in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the safety and health of our Florida communities.”
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.