LABELLE -- A Hendry County resident was sentenced to a decade in prison on drug charges on Nov. 24, according to the 20th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office.

Jeffrey Beard, of Hendry County, was adjudicated guilty and sentenced as a habitual felony offener to 10 years in prison, with 3 years as a minimum-mandatory prison term.

According to the arrest report, Beard sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant from his Hendry County home on Sept. 3, 2019 and two separate times on Dec. 4, 2019. The sales were within 1,000 feet of a public park.

On Dec. 13, 2019 the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on the home and found firearm ammunition, drugs, including cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Beard was then arrested on these four cases.

Beard was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Sale of a Controlled Substance within 1,000 ft. of a Public Park. He also had his driver’s license suspended.

In his second case, he was also sentenced to 10 years on that same charge.

In his third case he was sentenced to 10 years for a third count of Sale of a Controlled Substance within 1,000 ft. of a Public Park and one count of Own, Lease or Rent of a Place with Knowledge of Trafficking, Sale or Manufacture of a Controlled Substance.

In his fourth case, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, and one count each of Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.

The crimes occurred while Beard was already on felony probation in Hendry County. Beard was sentenced to 5 years in prison  for violating his probation. All of the sentences are to be served concurrently.