Man sold designer drugs in Bradenton, prosecutors say. He could spend decades in prison

A man convicted of trafficking drugs in Bradenton faces a maximum possible sentence of 46 years in a Florida prison.

State Attorney Ed Brodsky said in a news release that a jury found Devon Lamar Love, 38, guilty on charges of trafficking phenethylamines (eutylone), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and driving with a suspended license.

The National Institutes of Health labels eutylone as a designer drug. It is similar to MDMA, which is more commonly known as ecstasy, the news release said.

The charges were tried separately at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton on November 13, 2023, and on Monday.

While Love faces 46 years in prison as a maximum sentence, the minimum mandatory sentence is three years on the trafficking charge and 10 years on the firearm charge, the release said.

Love’s sentencing date has yet to be determined.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the alleged crimes on February 18, 2021. Love was pulled over for an inactive tag light, and the officer saw drugs in a small, transparent bag in the center console’s cupholder inside the vehicle, the news release said.

Eutylone was then discovered on Love during a pat down. Two other people were removed from the vehicle so police could search it.

A gun was found in the driver’s seat where Love was sitting, and DNA testing confirmed Love’s DNA on it, the news release said.

“Justice has been served in this case thanks to the swift actions of law enforcement,” said Assistant State Attorney Michael Anolfo, who was the lead prosecutor. “The defendant has a long criminal history that includes prior drug sales and a firearm offense. The jury quickly deliberated and found the defendant guilty as charged.”