Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Peter Lloyd Roman, Jr., 37, has been sentenced to 90 years in state prison after entering a plea of nolo contendere to violating probation on six drug cases.

Roman was arrested in August 2018 on 20 charges in five separate cases, mostly related to selling heroin or cocaine; the cases were based on purchases made by a confidential informant. At the time, he had two felony convictions and two misdemeanor convictions. 

According to arrest reports, Roman distributed narcotics at Grace Presbyterian Church (3146 NW 13th Street) and at Sunoco (4207 NW 13th Street), which is within 1,000 feet of a daycare, leading to multiple charges of selling drugs within 1,000 feet of specified locations such as churches, daycares, and convenience stores.

Roman posted bail and was released, and two new sworn complaints were filed in February 2020 for selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant within 1,000 feet of a church and convenience store in 2019. Formal charges of selling cocaine were filed in July 2020 in those cases.

In July 2020, Roman entered a plea of nolo contendere to six counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell (one count each from six of the seven cases; the seventh case was dropped), with the rest of the charges dropped as part of the plea deal. Judge Mark Moseley sentenced him to 28 months in state prison, followed by three years of drug offender probation. The maximum sentence for the charges was 90 years, according to the plea deal.

Roman was released from prison in June 2022 to begin serving his three years of probation, and on August 29, 2024, he was arrested after a search during a traffic stop reportedly produced about 260 grams of cocaine. A search of his residence reportedly produced about 470 grams of methamphetamine, some pills, and about $3,000 in cash. Roman’s house is about 500 feet from Williams Elementary School. He was also charged with violating probation by violating the law.

On October 11, 2024, a sworn complaint was filed against Roman, charging him with 10 felonies related to narcotics sales and firearm possession by a convicted felon. According to the sworn complaint, a search of a storage unit used by Roman produced almost $40,000 in cash, 11.83 pounds of methamphetamine, 230.4 grams of powdered cocaine, 15 grams of crack cocaine, about 200 prescription pills, four pistols, “numerous” rounds of ammunition, and equipment for manufacturing and distributing narcotics. Post Miranda, Roman reportedly admitted that the storage unit contained about 10 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, and four firearms. That case is still open.

On November 12, Roman entered a plea of nolo contendere to violation of probation in the six cases, and Judge James Colaw sentenced him to six consecutive sentences of 15 years each, for a total of 90 years. Roman has appealed the sentence.