Gainesville man arrested for fentanyl trafficking

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Michael Deon Woulard, 46, was arrested early this morning and charged with fentanyl trafficking and 13 other charges after reportedly promising to cooperate with law enforcement and then fleeing Alachua County.

On September 26, Woulard was pulled over on I-75 in a rental car, and Florida Highway Patrol Troopers reportedly found 146 grams of fentanyl in a search of the vehicle. Woulard is reportedly known to purchase fentanyl in south Florida, then mix it with a cutting agent before selling it. It was estimated that the fentanyl in the car could be packaged into 3,800 individual bags at $20 per bag, so the street value of the fentanyl was estimated at $76,000. Troopers also found 244 grams of a cutting agent and $1,253 in cash.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy spoke with Woulard at the scene and reportedly asked if he would be willing to cooperate with law enforcement; Woulard reportedly agreed to cooperate and said he had purchased the fentanyl in south Florida and was transporting it to Alachua County to sell. Woulard also reportedly provided his phone to law enforcement, including contact information for the supplier.

Woulard was reportedly escorted to his residence, where more drugs and more of the cutting agent were allegedly found. Deputies also reportedly found a firearm in his bedroom and learned that it had been reported stolen in 2021. As a convicted felon and Registered Sexual Predator, Woulard is not permitted to possess firearms.

Woulard was released because of his promise to cooperate, but he allegedly evaded law enforcement’s efforts in the investigation, and on October 8, deputies received information that Woulard intended to flee Alachua County. A deputy contacted Woulard, who reportedly agreed to meet but instead turned off his cell phone and fled. A warrant was issued for his arrest at that time.

Woulard has been charged with five counts of failing to comply with reporting requirements for sexual predators, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of opiates with intent to sell, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of maintaining a structure or vehicle for drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, use of a 2-way communications device to commit a felony, and possession of drug equipment.

Woulard has 11 felony convictions and is a Registered Sexual Predator. He has served two state prison sentences and was most recently released in 2018. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $1,285,000 on the charges.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • WTF don’t we have a 3 Strikes amendment? Make lawyers starve and sell the downtown courthouse! Put juries at the plea bargain table, too.

  • How many people has this guy killed in the area? He is just as deadly as somebody shooting a gun into a crowd downtown at closing time, maybe worse.

  • I won’t begin to seriously consider DeSantis for president until he starts putting people like this on the expressway to death row. Do not pass go, do not collect EBT.

    • What does EBT have anything to do this case?!!! Or is that you’re veiled racism showing?

        • Says who? The bulk majority of pedophiles are white middle class men? The bulk majority mass shooters are middle class white men? I can go on….

          • Shocking. Guy named “Gilberto Dominguez” logs on to defend fentanyl traffickers and redirects to ‘blame white people’

          • Are quotient marks impling that I’m lying about my name? I simply retorted your weak point. It’s called having an original thought.

          • My QUOTATION marks are implYing you are Latinx, hence I am unsurprised you redirected the conversation to “white guys are pedophiles” (without considering the extent of unreported improper sexual contact in the black communitay) and “white dudes do mass shootings” (without actually looking at the data). You did this in defense of a fentanyl trafficker and registered sexual predator.

            Why is it always people claiming to be ‘original thinkers’ that have nothing original to say?

            Your original comment took umbrage with the joke that the honorable Mr. Michael Deon Woulard might be on the receiving end of Dem government programs. If you had to bet your life on Mr Woulard not receiving Dem benefits, how confident would you feel?

  • Quite clear, he’s a repeat offender of many crimes. Why is he even walking around/breathing? He’s proven he’ll never rehab…they never do. The system fail quota, turning them loose to continue criminal behavior…on our dollar.

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