TAMPA, Fla. — A man from Florida has been sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for shipping himself more than 18 pounds of methamphetamine, officials say.
Jason Ryan Hardy, 40, has been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Hardy pleaded guilty back on January 11, 2022.
Hardy was reportedly under investigation after he flew to California in order to coordinate the delivery of methamphetamine from California to Florida, according to court records obtained by WPEC.
On June 19, 2020, package delivery employees reported that they received a suspicious package in California, according to the DOJ.
According to WPEC, the package was being shipped from California but the sender’s address and the return address on the package were reportedly both in Florida. Investigators searched the suspicious package and found more than 18 pounds of methamphetamine inside.
On June 22, 2020, Hardy reportedly called to ask about the status of the package, at which time the DOJ said he identified himself by name, phone number and email address.
“This criminal was stopped from smuggling large amounts of deadly drugs into our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs in the news release. “HSI special agents, working with our partners from the Tarpon Springs Police Department and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, prevented large amounts of methamphetamine from entering our neighborhoods and have certainly saved lives.”
The DOJ said the case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Tarpon Springs Police Department and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
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