OCALA, Fla. – Two Ocala men are facing the possibility of spending the rest of their lives behind bars after admitting to a failed methamphetamine deal that was actually a trap set by federal agents. Reshawn Graham, 36, and Tyrone Pierson, 29, officially entered guilty pleas for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced this week.
The arrests trace back to a sting operation on October 7, 2025. According to court records, an undercover officer spent the day negotiating with Graham to buy a full pound of meth. When the time came to swap cash for drugs, Pierson met with the officer instead, explaining that their supplier was running late.
The deal finally came together the following day. Graham contacted the undercover agent to confirm that Pierson had the product ready for delivery. However, when the two men arrived at the designated meeting spot to hand over the drugs, law enforcement moved in.
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Officers arrested both men on the scene and recovered a bag Pierson was wearing, which held roughly 438 grams of methamphetamine.
The legal fallout for the duo is significant. Because of the quantity of drugs involved and federal sentencing guidelines, Graham faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, while Pierson faces at least 10 years. Both men could technically be sentenced to life.
Pierson is the first of the two scheduled to learn his fate, with a sentencing hearing set for May 21, 2026. Graham’s hearing will follow a month later on June 25, 2026.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation into the Ocala pair as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Department of Justice initiative focused on dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is handling the prosecution.
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