In a significant local crime case, Willie James Skipper, Jr., a 42-year-old felon from Boynton Beach, was convicted by a federal jury for a series of charges including arson and drug trafficking. The incident occurred in Lake Worth Beach, where Skipper set a vehicle ablaze that was loaded with fentanyl disguised as oxycodone pills, crack cocaine, cash, and a firearm.
Details of the Conviction
Skipper was found guilty on May 21 in Fort Lauderdale, following his arrest on February 19. The Department of Justice’s Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. The jury convicted Skipper of multiple charges: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and arson. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with the final sentence to be determined by a federal district court judge.
Skipper, a two-time convicted felon in Florida, was under surveillance by local law enforcement and the FBI. He was observed conducting suspected drug transactions in known trafficking areas of Lake Worth Beach from August to October 2025. On November 1, Skipper was seen engaging in hand-to-hand narcotics exchanges at 630 S. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach. A narcotics-detection K-9 later alerted officers to Skipper’s vehicle.
The Incident and Aftermath
As officers prepared to impound his vehicle, Skipper purchased gasoline from a nearby gas station, returned to the vehicle, and ignited it, causing a major explosion. Officers were positioned just feet away, risking serious injury. Skipper fled on foot but was soon apprehended. A search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cash, and a loaded firearm hidden in compartments.
During the trial, expert witnesses highlighted the dangers of fentanyl disguised as legitimate medication and the violent nature of the vehicle fire, which posed a risk of catastrophic injury due to nearby propane tanks. DNA evidence linked Skipper to the narcotics and firearm recovered from the vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones emphasized the lethal mix of drugs, firearms, and violence in South Florida, noting the potential for the explosion to have caused fatalities. The case was investigated by the FBI Miami, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.
