Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Successful Conviction of Longtime Drug Trafficker

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-Attorney General James Uthmeier's Office of Statewide Prosecution has secured the conviction of Armaund Sims, 44, of Fernandina Beach for Trafficking in Cocaine.

"This outcome speaks to the tireless work of our statewide prosecutors, who relentlessly pursued justice in this case," said Attorney General James Uthmeier. "Thanks to Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Johnna Lessard and Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Kelsey Bledsoe, this criminal will be held accountable for trafficking dangerous drugs into our communities."

On October 11, 2023, Sims fled a lawful traffic stop conducted by Florida Highway Patrol officers, initiating a reckless, high-speed chase. During that time, he drove across a median before ultimately crashing into another vehicle. Law enforcement officers later recovered two kilograms of cocaine from an area near the crash site.

When the State first tried Sims in February of 2025, a Duval County jury found him guilty of Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. At that time, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the trafficking charge.

In October of this year, prosecutors from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, cross-designated as Assistant State Attorneys for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, retried the case and secured a conviction on the trafficking charge.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

Sims has multiple prior felony drug convictions. He will be sentenced later this month and faces a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.

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