Fentanyl Trafficker knocked unconscious by own supply sentenced to 25 years

April 20, 2025

by Office of the State Attorney, Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida

WASHINGTON COUNTY, FL - A Vernon man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to Trafficking in more than 28 grams of Fentanyl, announced State Attorney Larry Basford. Sean Thomas Terry, 25, was adjudicated guilty by Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark, who accepted the plea.

The defendant’s trial was set to begin April 3, 2025, with jury selection completed that Monday. However, he opted to enter a plea. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney J.P. Ferreira, who said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the ongoing fentanyl crisis.

“This defendant was found unconscious behind the wheel of a vehicle filled with a lethal amount of fentanyl - enough to end hundreds of lives,” Ferreira said. “We were fully prepared to present evidence and witnesses, but this plea ensures justice and protects our community.”

Ferreira was prepared to present witnesses and evidence showing the defendant was arrested on February 7, 2023, around 9:30 a.m. Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies found him unconscious in his vehicle, which was blocking a bank’s ATM. He showed signs he was under the influence of an unknown substance.

Deputies found a small pill bottle in his pocket containing pills that tested positive for fentanyl. He was arrested at the scene, and during a subsequent inventory of the vehicle, deputies discovered a fanny pack behind the driver’s seat. Inside was a black plastic bag containing several smaller baggies that held approximately 119 grams of fentanyl.

The defendant was found unconscious in his vehicle, under the influence of the fentanyl he was carrying and blocking an ATM when Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies found him. Fentanyl-laced pills in his pocket let to his arrest; the discovery of about 119 more grams of fentanyl in his car led to the upgraded charge.

Fentanyl is a deadly drug poisoning our community and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who bring it here to sell.