Steinhatchee Man Indicted For Methamphetamine Trafficking

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment charging Ryan Tyler Newman, 29, of Steinhatchee, Florida, with distribution of methamphetamine.  The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges on or about August 17, 2022, Newman distributed a quantity of methamphetamine.  Newman was identified through an ongoing, multi-agency investigation targeting illegal drug distribution in the Taylor County, Florida area. 

If convicted, Newman faces up to 20 years in prison.  

This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perry, Florida Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. More information about OCDETF may be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.