Anthony Winn Cole, 51, of North Fort Myers, was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison for four drug cases.
In the first two cases, in 2019, Cole was arrested for selling trafficking amounts of Fentanyl on two occasions, as well as crack cocaine during another drug sale. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants at his North Fort Myers home and found trafficking amounts of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Heroin. They also found a bag of crack cocaine, cash, and a firearm.
He was sentenced as follows:
Trafficking Illegal Drugs – 4 grams Fentanyl – 25 years in prison
Sale of a Controlled Substance 1,000 ft. of a Church – 25 years in prison
Trafficking Illegal Drugs – 4 grams Fentanyl – 25 years in prison
Trafficking Cocaine – 28 grams – 25 years in prison Possession of Place for Trafficking – 15 years in prison
Trafficking Heroin – 4 grams – 25 years in prison
Possession of Cocaine with Intent – 15 years in prison
Trafficking Fentanyl – 14 grams – 25 years in prison
Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 ft. of a Church – 25 years in prison
Possession of a Place for Trafficking – 15 years in prison
Just after he was booked into the Lee County Jail, law enforcement received a tip that the defendant had hidden drugs in his body. A search of his jail cell was done and a large bag of drugs were found. DNA testing was done on the bag, by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the DNA matched Cole. He had hidden the drugs in his body cavity when he was remanded into custody. There was more than 28 grams of Fentanyl, a trafficking amount of the drug.
After that, postcards were being sent to the Lee County Jail that were dipped in methamphetamine oil. One of the postcards was addressed to Cole and he discussed the postcard during a jail call tying him to the crime.
In those cases, he was sentenced as follows:
Trafficking Fentanyl – 28 grams – 25 years in prison
Introduction Contraband to Jail – 2 counts – 5 years in prison on each count
Assistant State Attorney Olivia Ferrell prosecuted the cases.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office