FORT MYERS — A Tampa man already on federal supervised release and a Fort Myers man with a prior murder conviction were sentenced to a combined 36 years in federal prison for conspiring to ship approximately 90 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to the Tampa and Southwest Florida areas, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Clarence Black Jr., 50, of Tampa, to 20 years and 6 months for drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl while on federal supervised release. Jarrek Fabrion Myrick, 40, of Fort Myers, received 15 years and 6 months on the same conspiracy and possession charges.
According to court documents, between January 25, 2025, and February 4, 2025, Black and Myrick traveled to California and shipped drug-laden parcels back to the Tampa and Southwest Florida areas. Law enforcement intercepted the parcels, which contained approximately over 90 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl combined.
Both defendants carried serious criminal histories. Black was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine when he committed the new offenses. Myrick had a prior conviction for second-degree murder. Black pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025, and Myrick pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan prosecuted the case.
The sentencings fall under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida continue to pursue drug trafficking cases tied to the initiative.