(Marion County, FL) On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 64-year-old Frederick Leon Fraziars was found guilty of Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Jurors deliberated for roughly 10 minutes, after hearing expert testimony and examining evidence presented during the trial, before rendering their verdict.
After the verdict was read, Judge Timothy T. McCourt sentenced Fraziars to 25 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.
“Once again, we have successfully removed a major drug trafficker from our streets, a testament to the outstanding efforts of our law enforcement partners,” stated Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. “A 15-year sentence last time for this defendant did little to deter him; hopefully this 25-year sentence provides him more time to reflect on his choices.”
Fraziars, who was released from prison two years ago after serving fifteen years for the same crime, was arrested by the Ocala Police Department (OPD) in May of 2024.
Just shortly before 6 p.m., Officer Graham observed Fraziars driving a sedan that did not have operable brake lights. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, with Fraziars first failing to stop before eventually placing the vehicle in park and shutting the engine off as instructed.
While making contact with Fraziars and another occupant in the vehicle, Officer Prather utilized his K9 to conduct an open-air sniff around the vehicle. The K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics and both the defendant and occupant were instructed to step out of the car. While doing so, Fraziars attempted to grab two cups from the middle cup holder. He was instructed to leave both there and exit.
During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement located an orange pill bottle that contained a substance believed to be cocaine inside one of the cups Fraziars was attempting to conceal. Both a razor blade and pipe with a white powdery substance on them were also located. All items were field tested, resulting in a presumptive positive for cocaine. Upon searching both persons, officers located a large amount of folded money in Fraziars’ pocket in denominations consistent with street-level narcotics sales.
After being advised of the items authorities located, Fraziar spontaneously stated everything in the car was his.
Assistant State Attorney Madison Kirkland successfully prosecuted this case.
Published on 03/13/2025.