FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A Fort Walton Beach man has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after authorities seized more than 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine during a traffic stop and subsequent search of his residence.
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Travaess McLemore, 41, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The investigation began Aug. 13, 2025, when the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop involving Mr McLemore’s vehicle. During the stop, a law enforcement canine alerted to the odor of narcotics.
A search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 84 grams of methamphetamine, according to federal prosecutors.
Later that day, investigators executed a search warrant at Mr McLemore’s residence and recovered approximately 1,548 grams of methamphetamine.
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Federal authorities said McLemore received a sentencing enhancement because of a prior serious drug felony conviction in a 2017 drug trafficking case.
“This successful prosecution and substantial prison sentence is an incredible win for the public safety of our communities, and fulfills the objective of the Homeland Security Task Force to dedicate a whole-of-government approach toward eliminating drug trafficking operations in the Northern District of Florida,” said John Heekin, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“We will celebrate this win and re-double our efforts to eradicate the scourge of methamphetamine and other deadly narcotics from our District to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve,” Mr Heekin said.
“The amount of methamphetamine seized in this case had the potential to cause tremendous harm to countless individuals and families throughout Okaloosa County and beyond,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden.
“I’m proud of the deputies, K9 teams, investigators, and our federal partners whose work not only led to the removal of a major source of narcotics, but also ensured the person responsible faces the consequences,” Mr Aden said.
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“Methamphetamine—one of the more commonly trafficked substances in the Florida Panhandle—destroys families and communities,” said Daniel Escobar, special agent in charge of the DEA Tampa Field Division.
“We have arrested numerous methamphetamine distributors in this region and will not stop until these criminals have been brought to justice.”
The conviction and sentence resulted from a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
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