(Hernando County, FL) On Monday, May 18, 2026, 56-year-old Thomas Roger Chrystie was found guilty of Trafficking in Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Jurors deliberated for 14 minutes, after hearing the testimony of law enforcement with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), expert testimony from analysts with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and examining evidence presented during the trial, before rendering their verdict.

After the verdict was read, Judge Stephen E. Toner remanded Chrystie into custody to await his sentencing.

Back in December of 2023, members of HCSO’s Vice and Narcotics Unit, during their undercover street-level narcotics operation, discovered that the defendant was involved in the sale and delivery of large quantities of methamphetamine in Hernando County.

Officials conducted a controlled buy with Chrystie, who provided law enforcement with illicit narcotics. After collecting the crystalline substance, officers conducted a presumptive test, which yielded a positive result of methamphetamine with a total packed weight of 28.9 grams. The substance was then sent off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Crime Laboratory for further confirmation.

The outcome of this case was a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, as well as Assistant State Attorneys Lyndsey Pruett and Kasey Whitson.

Published on 05/20/2026.