Bradenton drug dealer convicted in federal court for selling heroin, fentanyl

A 31-year-old Bradenton man will spend at least 15 years in prison after being convicted in federal court on charges he sold heroin and fentanyl.

According to the Tampa office of Middle District of Florida Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppman, Larome D. Waiters was found guilty of possessing heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Waiters, who was indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 1, 2019, will be sentenced on July 21. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years, but the sentencing guidelines include a possible life sentence.

Waiters was arrested in August 2019 on an outstanding warrant. According to evidence presented at trial, Waiters was wearing a fanny pack holding 17 grams of fentanyl and heroin packaged for sale when he was arrested outside of an apartment complex.

Inside Waiters’ apartment, investigators found two handguns.

Court records note that Waiters admitted the guns were his and that he was selling the drugs.

The case was investigated by the Bradenton Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Callan L. Albritton.