He planned to sell heroin, fentanyl in Manatee. He’ll spend 13 years in prison for it

A Manatee County drug trafficker who was arrested as part of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s “Operation Hot Batch” has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

Ryan Cotton, 37, pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to sell more than 100 grams of heroin and fentanyl on Feb. 22, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Cotton was arrested as part of a 15-day sting in 2017 that saw the sheriff’s office team up with federal agents to “disrupt and dismantle” Manatee County’s heroin problem. Prosecutors say Cotton engaged in $19,000 worth of narcotics transactions with a confidential informant.

When he was arrested, officers seized fentanyl, heroin, a firearm and $30,000. The case was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation meant to target “those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Cotton was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison on Friday.

This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 5:34 PM.