Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking cocaine

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
cocaine, trafficking, prison
Charlotte County Courthouse in Punta Gorda. Credit: WINK News.

A man from Hialeah has been found guilty of trafficking cocaine and designated a Habitual Felony Offender.

Christian Carrasquillo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking narcotics on Thursday.

The prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of drug offender probation.

He must also pay a $50,000 statutory fine.

Carrasquillo pled open to the court in Charlotte County. This is not a plea agreement.

Carrasquillo was given credit time served for possession of paraphernalia and driving while their license was suspended or revoked.

According to the state attorney’s office, on March 21, 2023, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in Charlotte County after Carrasquillo drove by at close to 100 miles per hour, the speed limit being posted at 70 miles per hour.

When Carrasquillo gave his license to the trooper, the trooper discovered Carrasquillo had his license suspended indefinitely two years prior for failure to appear for traffic violations in Broward County.

There was also a warrant for his arrest out of Broward County for a violation of probation in a drug case. The trooper was also informed that Carrasquillo was presumed to be armed and dangerous.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and another FHP trooper were called for backup.

Carrasquillo and a woman passenger said there was nothing illegal in the car when asked but refused to let law enforcement search the vehicle.

FHP K-9 Thor was deployed and alerted to drugs in the car.

A search of the car uncovered a container of cocaine in the center console, a backpack behind the driver’s seat with a press machine with cocaine residue and a napkin containing 40 grams of cocaine.

A small digital scale that was covered in cocaine was also found.

Carrasquillo was interviewed and took responsibility for the drugs but did not admit to the quantity found.

He also stated that he used the press machine to mix cocaine and crack together.

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