Rafael Then Jr., 33, of Belleview, was found guilty by a jury of trafficking methamphetamine. The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, comes after a joint undercover operation by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department’s Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Judge Barbara Kissner-Kwatkosky took him into custody immediately after the verdict and will hold him until his sentence hearing. The conviction originates from his arrest on July 31, 2023, for selling a large amount of methamphetamine to an undercover investigator.
The inquiry prompted law enforcement to conduct a controlled buy at a Marion Oaks business. According to court records, Then arrived in a purple Dodge Charger and entered the undercover officer’s vehicle to conduct the transaction…