FORT MYERS, Fla. — Christopher Ward Sr. was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after violating his probation stemming from a 2006 murder conviction in the death of a police officer.
Watch FOX'S 4 Austin Schargorodski's report on the sentence:
Ward, who was on probation following his second-degree murder conviction in Officer Daniels Starks' death, was arrested in a DEA sting operation for selling fentanyl to an undercover agent.
"Today we put forth evidence, called witnesses, and asked the Honorable Judge Nick Thompson to find that the defendant willfully and substantially violated that probation he was on and sentence him to life in prison," State Attorney Amira Fox said.
I was in the courtroom when Judge Thompson delivered the sentence after prosecutors presented evidence that Ward had been caught selling a kilo of fentanyl to an undercover agent. Agents also discovered drugs and cash inside Ward's home.
The defense argued that prosecutors failed to prove their case, claiming lab reports alone were insufficient without a chain of custody and testimony from a drug analyst. They also contended that Ward never intended to cause Officer Starks' death and requested a 30-year sentence if found in violation.
Despite these arguments, the judge ruled that Ward had violated his probation and sentenced him to life in prison.
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