Palmetto man sold cocaine and meth to undercover agent in drug sting, FDLE says
.jpg "A judge sentenced Clayton Dewayne Mann, 32, of Palmetto, to five years in prison after he sold cocaine and methamphetamine to an undercover agent, court records show.")
A Palmetto man is headed to prison after prosecutors say he sold cocaine and methamphetamine to an undercover agent in a Walmart parking lot.
A Manatee County judge sentenced Clayton Dewayne Mann, 32, also known as “CJ,” to five years in prison after he pleaded no contest to two counts of drug trafficking, court records show. Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio also imposed a three-year minimum mandatory sentence under Florida law.
An attorney representing Mann told the Bradenton Herald that she “made significant efforts to demonstrate” to the State that this was a one-off case.
“He is not a career criminal or trafficker,” Courtney Benson said.
“Despite our attempts, the facts of the case remained such that Mr. Mann accepted responsibility for his actions and agreed to the sentence. He looks forward to obtaining education and vocational training during his time in custody and hopes to rejoin his family and contribute to the community upon completing his sentence.”
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began investigating Mann in January 2025 after receiving information he was trafficking cocaine in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, according to an arrest report.
Undercover agents contacted Mann by phone and arranged to buy two ounces of cocaine for $1,600. He later met an agent in the parking lot of a Manatee County Walmart, the report states.
Mann then got into the agent’s vehicle, where he handed over a baggie containing cocaine in exchange for the cash, according to investigators.
During the meeting, investigators say Mann also offered to sell meth. After negotiating a price of $100, he retrieved the drugs from his vehicle and handed them to the agent, according to the agency.
The undercover agent watched Mann count the $1,700 in cash, and the two discussed potential future drug deals, investigators said. Mann said he had suppliers in other parts of Florida, according to the report.
FDLE agents later confirmed the substances tested positive for cocaine and meth. The cocaine weighed about 56 grams and the methamphetamine about 15 grams, placing both charges above Florida’s trafficking thresholds, according to the arrest report.
Mann was charged with trafficking in cocaine and trafficking in methamphetamine, both first-degree felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison under Florida law.
Court records show Mann was arrested and later posted a $100,000 bond. His defense later filed a motion questioning his competency to stand trial, but Mercurio found him competent to proceed after a hearing.
Mann entered his plea on March 6 and was sentenced the same day, according to court records. In addition to prison time, he must pay more than $105,000 in fines, court costs and investigative expenses.
He received credit for 46 days already served in jail. Mercurio also ordered a six-month driver’s license suspension and required Mann to submit a DNA sample to the state database, court records show.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
