Citrus Hills man found guilty of drug charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison

State Attorney's Office, Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties

Citrus County, Florida - On February 18, 2025, 30 year-old Connor James Vidair of Citrus Hills, Florida was found guilty by a jury on charges stemming from his March 2024 arrest. This case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Patsey Jacobs and Tara Hartman.

After jurors heard testimony from numerous expert witnesses, along with compelling latent-print evidence, they reached their verdict within an hour. Vidair was found guilty of charges that included included trafficking in cocaine, possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a short-barreled rifle, and possession of a place to manufacture, sell, or deliver cannabis.

The Honorable Judge Joel D. Fritton sentenced Vidair to 15 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.

"The defendant not only trafficked dangerous drugs in our community, but did so while armed as a convicted felon," said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie. "The jury carefully examined all the evidence presented, including photographs, statements, and fingerprint evidence, and determined that the defendant was guilty of these crimes and must be held accountable."

In March 2024, Vidair was arrested by detectives with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, when detectives from the agency's Special Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at Vidair's residence on North Cherry Lake Drive, in Citrus Springs, Florida. Officials, aware of ongoing narcotics sales at the residence, conducted an investigation that led to the execution of the narcotics search warrant.

Upon their arrival at the residence, Special Investigations Unit detectives spoke with Vidair, the homeowner and sole occupant of the home. During the search of his home, law enforcement personnel located trafficking amounts of cocaine, and large amounts of cannabis, cannabis wax, and cannabis edibles. The also found a sawed-off shotgun, a handgun, and what appeared to be a small lab for the production of illegal controlled substances. Throughout the house, deputies also found a large amount of cash, scales, vacuum seal-type bags, a currency counter, and a drug potency tester, along with various other items of drug paraphernalia, all of which indicated that Vidair was operating a thriving drug enterprise from his home.

Vidair denied ownership of the illegal items collected at his home, but prior to his requesting an attorney, he also told authorities that he lived alone in the home,