West Alabama Man Caught Re-Entering United States With 3,000 Painkillers

A West Alabama man with local ties was arrested in Florida earlier this month after police allegedly found about 3,000 prescription painkillers smuggled in his luggage at Miami International Airport.

According to coverage from NBC Miami, 46-year-old Chip Ervin flew into the United States from Medellin, Colombia, on Saturday, June 7th.

When Ervin arrived back in the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection searched his checked baggage and discovered 2,997 hydrocodone pills in plastic bottles packed in his luggage.

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Jail records from Miami Dade County confirm Ervin, who lives in Fayette, Alabama, has been charged with trafficking hydrocodone. The NBC report included footage of a court hearing where Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer set a $200,000 bond, which came in far under the state of Florida's $750,000 recommendation.

Ervin, who lives in Fayette, is a former longtime resident of Tuscaloosa. He was arrested in 2014 for selling "high-grade" marijuana in the city. The Tuscaloosa News reported similar charges in 2009 and identified Ervin as a former local youth football coach.

Judge Glazer said if convicted of trafficking the painkillers from Colombia, Ervin would be subject to a 25-year minimum mandatory prison sentence under Florida law.

For more coverage of news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.