DUVAL COUNTY, Florida – A Jacksonville man is facing a lengthy prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of trafficking large quantities of illegal drugs while armed with a firearm.
Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that 36-year-old Jerry Elijah Hill was convicted of Trafficking in Substituted Cathinones While Armed with a Firearm. The conviction carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in Florida State Prison, including a 15-year mandatory minimum for drug trafficking and an additional 10-year minimum mandatory sentence related to the firearm. He’s been in custody in Duval County since his arrest on May 30, 2025.
Hill will be sentenced at a later date by the Honorable L.E. Hutton.
The case stems from a January 19, 2024 incident when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a woman reporting that Hill refused to leave her residence on Woodside Street. When officers arrived, they found Hill sitting on the front steps of the home with a large baggie protruding from his jacket pocket and another visible in his sweatpants.
According to investigators, Hill attempted to conceal the bags and fled on foot when officers ordered him to remove his hands from his pockets. Officers quickly detained him and recovered nearly one pound of white rock-like substances, a bag of marijuana, and a firearm from the area where Hill had been sitting. The white rocks were later identified as substituted cathinones, commonly referred to as “bath salts,” weighing more than 400 grams.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Trinity Turinetti and Robin Jones.
Prosecutors say the verdict sends a strong message about the serious consequences of trafficking dangerous drugs, particularly when firearms are involved.
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