A Marion County jury found Jefferey Randolph Grubbs, 42, guilty of trafficking fentanyl and possessing paraphernalia and sentenced him to 31 years in prison. The conviction, handed out today, brings an end to a case that began with a routine traffic stop in September 2022.
Following the jury’s decision, Judge Timothy McCourt sentenced Grubbs to 30 years for trafficking and a year for paraphernalia. He also had to pay a $100,000 fine.
The investigation began when Officer Matthews of the Ocala Police Department (OPD) stopped Grubbs’ silver automobile for a malfunctioning tag light. During the stop, OPD K9 Officer Prather sent out his K9 partner, Graham, who alerted to the vehicle. As Grubbs was asked to leave, cops discovered a cigarette box he was holding between the seats. Grubbs was arrested immediately after discovering a crystal-like substance in a folded bill inside the package.
A subsequent search of Grubbs’ person yielded a plastic bag containing gray residue that tested positive for fentanyl. The scenario worsened during the booking process at the jail center, when a glass pipe fell from Grubbs. He then admitted to carrying more contraband with him.
A body scan uncovered another item he was hiding, revealing it to be a fentanyl trafficking quantity.
Assistant State Attorneys Samuel Militello and William Hodges effectively prosecuted the case, emphasizing the importance of police alertness and K9 units in the discovery and interdiction of illegal drugs.