An Orlando man has been convicted on federal methamphetamine distribution charges, with a possible life sentence on the horizon, this according to a report by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Patrick Hugh Mitchell, aged 56, now faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison after being found guilty of holding and planning to sell over 50 grams of the drug.

Detailed court proceedings reveal that Mitchell was caught in the act through controlled purchases helmed by the Drug Enforcement Administration who employed a confidential informant for their investigation, they used this strategy to directly link him to the sale of 892.5 grams of crystal meth during one of the transactions the parking lot of a gas station, he was dual-tasking, detailing cars, and vending food became the low-profile facade of his illicit dealings. Mitchell was even caught boasting about the meth’s exceptional purity, perhaps a twisted point of pride in a narrative shadowed by the harsh reality of addiction and crime.

The DEA led the investigation into Mitchell’s activities, while Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Michael Sartoian handle the prosecution with rigor, possibly reflective of a commitment to stem the narcotic tide that has surged ecosystems of depravity and despair.