A Hernando County jury needed just over twelve minutes to convict 47-year-old Robert James Wright Jr. of trafficking fentanyl and possession of paraphernalia, closing out a case that began with a broken taillight and ended with deputies finding more than 56 grams of fentanyl hidden in his jail cell. Wright is now facing a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison.
According to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, jurors returned the guilty verdict on November 2 after deliberating just after twelve minutes. Wright's sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10 at 9 a.m., where he faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years on the trafficking conviction, the office said. The case was first flagged for local residents through a Hernando County Sheriff's Office Facebook post sharing the state attorney's announcement.
A Broken Taillight Started It All
The case traces back to July 2025, when deputies conducted a traffic stop for a broken taillight on a vehicle in which Wright was a passenger. Officials observed signs of impairment in the driver during the stop, and deputies noted that Wright was not wearing a seat belt, per the state attorney's account.
Wright consented to a search of his person, and deputies located a pill bottle in his front pocket, along with a digital scale. The pills, later confirmed to be alprazolam, were packaged in a clear plastic baggie, with some broken into halves and quarters consistent with illegal drug sales, the report states. Wright told deputies at the time that the pill bottle belonged to a friend and that he was only temporarily holding it.
Fentanyl Found Hidden at the Jail
Wright was arrested and transported to the Hernando County Detention Facility, where detention deputies discovered he had concealed a plastic baggie containing several smaller baggies of a white and pink powdery substance. That powder tested positive for fentanyl, with a combined total weight of 56.3 grams, according to the state attorney's office's report.
Assistant State Attorneys Lyndsey Pruett and Kasey Whitson prosecuted the case, which the office says ended in a swift conviction once it reached trial. The attached verdict document states that Wright was adjudicated guilty of trafficking in fentanyl and possession of paraphernalia.
Prosecutor Points to Fentanyl's Danger
Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson said fentanyl contributes to most opioid overdose deaths nationally, and that as little as two to three milligrams of the drug can cause respiratory issues, cardiac arrest, and possibly death. Gladson credited the original traffic stop with preventing further harm, saying the Hernando County Sheriff's Office saved countless lives by conducting the stop and arresting Wright.
Under Florida law, using or possessing drug paraphernalia with intent to use it is a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Florida Statute 893.147. The trafficking charge Wright faces carries far steeper consequences, including the 25-year mandatory minimum outlined by prosecutors.
Fentanyl Deaths Have Been Falling Statewide
Wright's conviction comes amid a broader statewide shift in fentanyl-related deaths. Medical Daily reported that fentanyl-caused deaths in Florida fell to about 2,000 in 2025, down from 4,962 in 2023, a decline of nearly 60%, including a 37% drop from 2024 to 2025 alone. But the outlet cautioned that medical examiner reports count deaths and drugs involved without establishing why the numbers changed, and cannot separate the effect of any one program from everything else happening at the same time. It also noted that fentanyl-caused deaths had already begun falling in 2022, before some state initiatives existed, dropping 12% in 2023 alone.
