ORLANDO, Florida — A Sanford man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm possession, according to a press release. Jonathan Nicola, age 23, pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year.
The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, focused on a package delivered to an address in St. Cloud. On January 11, 2024, law enforcement observed Nicola retrieving the package and attempted a traffic stop. Nicola fled, leading officers on a 14-mile pursuit that involved multiple car accidents and dangerous driving maneuvers, including traveling over 100 mph in a 45-mph zone.
The chase ended when Nicola crashed his vehicle in Orlando. A search of the vehicle uncovered a digital scale, plastic bags, a loaded 9 mm Springfield Hellcat handgun, and a parcel containing approximately 4.4 pounds of blue pills. DEA laboratory tests confirmed the pills contained two kilograms of fentanyl…