Man arrested for fentanyl trafficking

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man who smuggled enough fentanyl to kill 51,500 people.

On September 17, 2024 at 3:08 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop near Interstate 75 North and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. They spoke with a passenger in the vehicle who stated he had a history of methamphetamine use and had a flashlight between his legs. The detection dog unit responded and searched the vehicle outside, advising of the presence of narcotics in the car.

Inside the vehicle, officers found a Springfield Hellcat pistol, a digital scale and three different drugs, which later tested positive for marijuana, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The passenger, Ryan Edward Starr, 38, was charged with:

• Possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis
• Armed trafficking in fentanyl (28 grams or more)
• Armed trafficking in amphetamine (14-28 grams)
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime

“I commend our deputies for their proactive patrol in our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This potentially routine traffic stop has removed enough fentanyl from our streets to kill 51,500 people and ensures that this dangerous man can no longer spread this poison here in Hillsborough County.”

Starr is a convicted felon in Florida.

The investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided by the Public Relations Office.

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