Theron Marquale Mathews, aged 37 from New Port Richey, has been sentenced to a stiff 15-year term in a federal prison after pleading guilty to serious charges of intent to distribute a significant quantity of fentanyl and possessing firearms to support his drug trafficking activities. This outcome was the product of a coordinated law enforcement operation involving multiple agencies. Mathews’ sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Proceeds from Mathews’ illicit operations were also seized, with the court ordering the forfeiture of three firearms and $41,176 in cash linked to drug trafficking.
March last year, things took a dramatic turn for Mathews when agents from the ATF came knocking with an arrest warrant on his door in New Port Richey. Inside, they didn’t just find Mathews, but also stumbled upon a fentanyl processing setup. According to U.S. Attorney’s Office documents, a loaded Glock 20 10mm pistol, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 40 caliber pistol, and an ATI Bulldog semi-automatic shotgun were found in the residence, alongside almost a kilogram of fentanyl and various items used to package the drug for sale.
After executing the arrest warrant, the agents obtained a search warrant, which then led to the discovery of the fentanyl and firearms. Collectively, the seizures paint a concerning picture of a local drug operation, capable of pushing a large volume of fentanyl into communities, combined with the means of defending such criminal activities through the barrel of a gun…