Blountstown meth sale

leads to 4-year prison

term for Marianna man

BLOUNTSTOWN, FL –  Chester’s ranch-flavored Fries may be a popular snack, but the 4.8 grams of methamphetamine found inside one bag has resulted in a Marianna man going to prison.

Royce Tracy Peaden Jr., 35, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison after a jury found him guilty of selling nearly five grams of methamphetamine during an undercover investigation, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

A 6-person jury took less than 10 minutes to return a guilty verdict for Sale of Methamphetamine against Peaden after a one-day trial Wednesday, Sept. 30. Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young then sentenced the defendant to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 24 months’ probation.

Calhoun County Chief Prosecutor Joshua White called three witnesses – a Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office Investigator, a witness to the sale, and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab analyst. He also presented bodycam video of the transaction, photos and text messages to prove the case.

The evidence showed that the defendant agreed to sell five grams of methamphetamine to a Calhoun County resident on June 6, 2025, and drove from Marianna to do so.

Video showed the defendant approaching the passenger’s window of another vehicle, where he was given $100. In return he placed a bag of Chester’s Fries onto the passenger’s seat of the buyer’s vehicle. Investigators monitoring the transaction checked the snack bag and found it contained a plastic baggie with of methamphetamine.

Basford thanked Calhoun County Sheriff Michael Bryant and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for its work in building the case and gathering evidence that helped lead to a guilty verdict.

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