(Citrus County, FL) Last week, in the courtroom of Judge Joel D. Fritton, 41-year-old Heather Lynne Duarte-Wright was found guilty of Trafficking in Fentanyl and Possession of Paraphernalia. With this conviction, two-time convicted felon Duarte-Wright faces the possibility of Life behind bars as a Habitual Felony Offender.  

“It only takes two milligrams of Fentanyl to kill a person,” said Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney. “And here this defendant was, riding on the back of a scooter, with a pouch of enough Fentanyl to take out a fraction of the county’s entire population.”

On August 10, 2023, a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputy conducted a traffic stop on a motor scooter that did not have a license plate attached. Once stopped both the driver of the scooter and the passenger, later identified as Duarte-Wright, were asked to step off. Upon the defendant stepping off the scooter, the law enforcement officer noticed a black zippered pouch sticking halfway from under the bottom of her shirt.

When questioned as to what the item was, Duarte-Wright admitted to the officer that it was paraphernalia and a little bit of Fentanyl. At that time, the CCSO deputy removed the black pouch from the defendant’s person while securing Duarte-Wright. Inside the zippered pouch, a clear plastic baggy containing a white substance and hypodermic needles were located.

The white substance was then field tested and yielded positive results for Fentanyl, weighing approximately 20 grams. Additional testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed the presence of Fentanyl.

Assistant State Attorneys Patsey Jacobs and Elizabeth Colombrito successfully prosecuted this case.

Published on 01/27/2025.