A Tampa man has received a 20-year sentence for drug and weapons charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Lennard Rashard Monroe, who is 32-year-old from Tampa, faced the consequences for his actions in federal court as U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday issued the sentence for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Monroe was not alone in his illicit activities; he worked alongside Justin Latrun Farrior, who was previously handed down a sentence of four years and two months in federal prison. According to a report from the U.S. Attorney's Office, using a confidential informant, the Tampa Police Department, alongside the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration unearthed the operation at a "trap house" in Sulphur Springs.
During a raid of the premises, authorities discovered Monroe asleep. His two-year-old son was also in the bedroom next to a kilogram of cocaine, three firearms, and over $18,000 in cash. The sting operation leading to the uncovering of these items involved undercover purchases of cocaine from Monroe and Farrior by a confidential source.
The case was brought to a close through diligent work by the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Sullivan and Suzanne C. Nebesky. While deliberating the sentence, the court considered not only the distribution of illegal drugs but the added risk posed by the presence of firearms owned by a felon. The substantial cash found, along with drugs and guns, painted a clear picture of the operation's scale. Asleep with his son in the bedroom, the agents found Monroe when executing the search warrant.
