A 33-year-old man accused of drug trafficking has been found guilty by a Marion County jury, two years after he sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer.
On Tuesday, jurors found Belleview resident Rafael Then, Jr. guilty of trafficking in methamphetamine. Following the conviction, Then was transported to Marion County Jail, where he will remain in custody while awaiting his sentencing.
Court records show that on July 31, 2023, Then was arrested by Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) agents after they managed to schedule an undercover drug purchase.
An undercover officer met Then at a business located in Marion Oaks. Then arrived at the location in a purple Dodge Charger, and he exited the vehicle and entered the passenger side of the undercover officer’s vehicle.
While inside the unmarked vehicle, Then sold the undercover officer a large quantity of methamphetamine. After the transaction was completed, the purchased drugs were sent to a laboratory for chemical analysis, which yielded a positive result for methamphetamine.
Then was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Ocala Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Samuel Armstrong.
A sentencing hearing for Then is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 24, according to Marion County Court records.