Accident – death – Obituary News :

22-Year-Old Man Arrested in St. Cloud Drug Bust

High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash and Discovery of Fentanyl Pills

A 22-year-old man was arrested in St. Cloud on Thursday by Florida Highway Patrol after the car he crashed while trying to run from FHP in was found to have 15,000 Fentanyl pills made to look like OxyContin inside.

On Thursday, Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Criminal Intervention Unit (CIU) witnessed a white Mercedes SUV illegally changing lanes near Old Canoe Creek Road and Kissimmee Park Road in St. Cloud. The SUV cut off a marked FHP cruiser and had an illegal tint with a license plate that did not return to any vehicle.

When troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver sped away, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. The car side-swiped another motorist and drove the wrong way on multiple roads, with marked units following closely behind. The high-speed pursuit finally came to an end when the driver failed to negotiate a curve and crashed.

The driver, identified as 22-year-old Jonathan Nicola of Kissimmee, was apprehended by state troopers and taken into custody for felony fleeing and eluding, along with several other serious traffic-related charges.

During a search of the vehicle, troopers discovered a digital scale and numerous small baggies within the driver’s door pocket. As an FHP Trooper and K-9 arrived to assist, the K-9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics. Further inspection of the vehicle revealed a loaded 9mm handgun, drug paraphernalia, and a box containing a clear vacuum-sealed bag with 15,000 Fentanyl pills made to look like OxyContin.

Upon verifying the vehicle information, it was confirmed that the car was stolen from Lee County, Florida. The vehicle had a fake temporary tag and cloned VINs on both the door and window. Jonathan Nicola, who was already a habitual traffic offender, was arrested and transported to the Orange County Jail without bond.

Charges and Mission to Keep Communities Safe

Jonathan Nicola now faces multiple charges, including trafficking in Fentanyl, synthetic narcotic manufacturing, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug equipment/paraphernalia used to manufacture/transport drugs, grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a vehicle with altered numbers, weapons offense-use/display firearm during a felony, flee/elude police-aggravated fleeing with injury or damage, and moving traffic violation-reckless driving with damage to person/property.

Executive Director Dave Kerner emphasized the dedication of the Florida Highway Patrol to keeping communities safe and fighting against the devastation caused by drug cartels. Despite the challenges posed by the open southern border and the flow of Fentanyl into the nation, state troopers willingly put themselves in high-risk situations like this to put dangerous individuals behind bars.

The investigation into this drug bust remains active and ongoing. Further information is not available at this time.

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