Meth 'Candy' Find Lands Man in Jail

A 53-year-old Bradenton man faces federal criminal charges after law enforcement officers found bags of methamphetamine packaged to look like candy inside his home.

The case against Jesus Casteyano began to unfold Tuesday when a Tampa Drug Enforcement Administration agent was contacted by the Miami field office. It seems the Miami office had just seized five kilograms of meth that was packaged to look like candy. The person arrested in Miami cooperated with investigators and told them he had picked up the drugs from a home in Bradenton around 6 a.m. that day, a criminal complaint stated. The Tampa officer, in turn, put the wheels in motion to identify the Bradenton connection.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, DEA agents and deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went to the home at 108 59th Ave. Drive W. in Bradenton to question the man the Miami arrestee fingered, the complaint stated.

Once inside the home, the officers spoke with Jesus Casteyano and his wife Erika Galvan, the complaint said.

Glavin, the complaint stated, told officers that there were “bags of candy” in a storage tub in the couple’s bedroom.

Casteyano, the complaint said, had told his wife not to let their son eat the candy and made it clear to her it was methamphetamine.

Officers proceeded to find three bags of “candy” in the tub where Galvan said it would be.

“The candy was the same as that which had been seized from (Miami),” the complaint said.

All told, 19 pounds of methamphetamine was recovered from the home.

Casteyano was subsequently charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida states.

If convicted, Casteyano, who also goes by the names Jesus Castellano and Jesus Castellano-Andrade, faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, the statement said.

Casteyano was being held in the Hillsborough County Jail without bond following a first appearance in federal court in Tampa Wednesday.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Evidence photo courtesy of the DEA.