A 32-year-old Pensacola man pleaded guilty to federal drug possession and distribution charges and faces up to life in a federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced July 22.
Jermaine Lewis pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl; possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“Federal law enforcement and our state and local partners are not going to to idly sit by and let drug traffickers flood our streets with deadly drugs,” U.S. Attorney John Heekin said. “Through the great work of a multi-agency operation, this armed drug dealing felon will now be incapacitated, and the Pensacola community will be safer for it.”
Lewis was known to sell fentanyl on the streets of Pensacola, and while he was selling in January and February 2025 law enforcement intercepted a mailed parcel that contained four pounds of fentanyl pills, according to a news release.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams can be a fatal dose of fentanyl. The package intercepted by law enforcement contained enough fentanyl to kill approximately 907,000 people.
Officers then obtained a search warrant for Lewis’ home where they found two loaded firearms along with cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. They also discovered wire receipts of money transfers to Mexican bank accounts.
Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 16 where he faces up to life in prison.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola man faces life after cops seize package with enough fentanyl to kill 900K people
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
