Duval County Jury Finds Boutros Guilty of Trafficking Drugs

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Raymond Boutros guilty of Trafficking in Substituted Cathinone and Resisting an Officer Without Violence. With the verdict, Boutros faces up to 30 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Tatiana Salvador will sentence Boutros at a later date.

On Sept. 18, 2023, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a dispute in a parking lot on San Diego Street. On scene, Boutros eventually disclosed to officers he found heroin on the ground; officers confiscated the narcotics and placed them into evidence. While officers remained on scene, Boutros repeatedly rode by on his bike waiting for the officers to leave. One officer became suspicious Boutros may be waiting to retrieve more drugs, so he remained nearby to continue his patrol. Boutros immediately returned to the scene and searched the fence line with a flashlight. Boutros retrieved something from the ground and rode off on his bicycle. An officer stopped him for traffic violations and the officer saw a pill bottle and a cigar package in Boutros’ hands. When ordered to stop, Boutros fled from the officer on his bike. The officer eventually was able to detain Boutros after a chase. Officers found Boutros hid narcotics inside the cigar package and pill bottle. The narcotics in the cigar package weighed 16.88 grams and were subsequently analyzed by FDLE and identified as substituted cathinones, commonly known as “bath salts.”

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Trinity A. Turinetti and Christina Roldan.