A Fort Myers man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $300,000 in fines for trafficking drugs in two separate cases in Lee County. The sentencing stems from a 2023 investigation in which the man sold fentanyl and methamphetamine while under surveillance in a retail parking lot.
According to the State Attorney's Office, Ryeshene DeVonta Bronson was convicted on three felony charges: two counts of trafficking in amphetamines of 28 grams or more and one count of trafficking in dangerous fentanyl of 14 grams or more. Each charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence, including a 20-year minimum for the fentanyl charge.
The investigation began in 2023 and involved undercover operations by Fort Myers Police Department vice and narcotics detectives, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fort Myers office. The man sold the drugs from a vehicle parked at a major retailer on Colonial Boulevard.
Detectives located and seized the following:
- 48.4 grams of Fentanyl
- 17.8 grams of Substituted Cathinones (bath salts)
- 20.6 grams of Methamphetamine
- $15,554 in US Currency
- 7 guns
He was later arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force. Assistant State Attorney Marilla Shoemaker prosecuted both cases.
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