Office of the State Attorney

PRESS RELEASE

August 17, 2023      

         

State of Florida v. Arthur Preston Harris III                                                                      

DOB: 04/09/1989

Case Number: 2022 301747 CFDB

 

DAYTONA BEACH – At the conclusion of a two-day trial this afternoon, a Volusia County jury found defendant Arthur Preston Harris guilty as charged of Trafficking in Fentanyl, Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, and four other misdemeanors. 

In April of 2022, Officer Karl Smith with Daytona Beach Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Arthur Harris.  The vehicle then took off and accelerated at a high rate of speed.  Officer Smith followed the vehicle which eventually crashed into a utility pole.  Officer Smith and Officer Russell Damon were able to detain the sole occupant of the vehicle, Arthur Harris.  Upon a search of the car, the Officer found multiple drugs including over 29 grams of the deadly drug Fentanyl and nearly $3,000 in cash.  Harris was ultimately arrested for the charges arising from the crash and the drugs.

Shortly after today’s trial, Judge Leah Case sentenced Harris to 35 years in the Florida State Prison.  Harris also has been indicted in a separate case where a victim died as a result of overdosing on drugs provided by Harris.

Of today’s result, State Attorney R.J. Larizza said “Fentanyl is an extremely deadly drug and those who traffic it on our streets deserve extreme sentences.”

Assistant State Attorney Dan Jancha successfully tried this case for the State.

 

For more information contact: 

Bryan Shorstein | Executive Director//PIO | Office of State Attorney R.J. Larizza, Florida's Seventh Judicial Circuit | SAOPIO@SAO7.org