Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To Armed Fentanyl Trafficking Charges

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Randell Love (48, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Love faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl charge, and minimum mandatory term of 5 years, up to life, imprisonment consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on October 5, 2021, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a car driven by Love, a 14-time convicted felon, as it bore the license plate of a different vehicle and because Love’s driver license was suspended. After stopping the vehicle, Love hid a loaded 9mm handgun with his male passenger, and approximately 26 grams of fentanyl with his female passenger. Deputies subsequently recovered the drugs and the firearm and located a drug ledger in Love’s possession. Further investigation revealed that Love had received approximately five ounces of fentanyl at a time from his suppliers and sold the drugs to approximately 25 customers per day.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.