HomeCrimeNewberry man charged with trafficking in fentanyl and “bath salts”

Newberry man charged with trafficking in fentanyl and “bath salts”

April 28, 2023

Staff report

NEWBERRY, Fla. – Rakheem Tavares Hoyt, 29, of Newberry, was charged yesterday with possession of trafficking amounts of fentanyl and phenethylamines (“bath salts”).

On March 3, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy located a truck in Newberry that had previously fled from him; the truck was reportedly partially blocking the road in the 25400 block of NW 8th Avenue and was unoccupied. While waiting for backup, the deputy was approached by a woman who initially said she had been driving the truck and had fled because she was scared. She reportedly changed her story later to state that Hoyt was driving the truck and that one of the handguns belonged to her.

After more deputies arrived, a probable cause search of the truck was conducted based on the plain odor of marijuana. During the search, deputies reportedly found two handguns, an AK-47 rifle, 14 grams of fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills, 135 grams of marijuana, and 100 grams of cannabis concentrate.

After a warrant was obtained to search a safe that was found in the truck, deputies found another 19 grams of fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills and 555 grams of substituted cathinones (bath salts).

Hoyt was originally charged via sworn complaint with possession of trafficking quantities of fentanyl, possession of trafficking quantities of phenethylamines, possession of cannabinoids with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Formal charges were filed on April 27 on the two drug trafficking charges, and no action was taken on the others. Prosecutors recommended $1 million bond for each charge, but Judge James Nilon reduced that to $500,000 for each charge.

Hoyt has three felony convictions and 29 misdemeanor convictions. He was previously arrested on April 10 for selling drugs near two churches and $1 million has been added to his previous bail of $250,100.

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. 

  • His defense will be, “the alien made me do it.”

    Also worth mentioning, another felon with a firearm. They’re protecting their illegal drug activity, you should be prepared, (if legally able), to protect yourself and your family.

    • Clearly his antenna are broken and could not properly communicate with the alien directive.

    • Right, and read the article, you’ll see ‘no action has been taken on the other charges’ (possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.)

  • This POS does not need to be on the streets. Keeps poisoning his community and keeps getting guns. He has no regard or interest in the lives he is ruining and poisoning. He probably has no clue or knowledge of the meaning/origin of his first name. If he did he may rethink what he us doing but with all the convictions I doubt he knows anything but crime. Stop letting these idiots bail out.

  • These dealers know what fentanyl is doing to people. We need to stop charging them with distribution charges and instead start hitting them with domestic terrorism charges. The truth is that most of these fentanyl dealers will have killed more people by peeling this poison than Danny Rolling by the time they are all said and done. Why did we put The Gainesville Ripper to death yet we don’t put people like this to death?!?

    • Dealers are businessmen making a conscious decision to go about town selling this poison and carrying deadly weapons to defend themselves against the competitors and thieves. It is not a mistake or a random misfortune. The SAO needs to prosecute them to the level needed to have decide to do something different. Let’s start by severing felon-in-possession gun charges and make that an automatic 2 years.

  • These dreadlocks 😂😂😂
    It’s a statement in itself.

  • That mess on his head made me think of king crabs. Now I’m probably gonna go and drop a hundred bucks on almost no crabs. Thanks Joe Biden. Dumbass.

  • WTF is happening to Newberry these days? We hardly hear about Archer, so did the *troubled* residents move to the Berry in recent times?

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