Ashley Moody, Attorney General of Florida, announced that dangerous people have been removed from the streets in a massive and historic sting of violent gang members who were involved in drug smuggling and other crimes.
“We wanted to disrupt the gang activity and organization. We got the hierarchy. We have people who have a way to make good witnesses for lesser sentences. We think what we did was a disruptive action,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said about the huge bust.
The gang arrests happened at the same time the Polk Co. Sheriff announced the largest wiretap investigation in US history resulting in the arrests of 85 people in an international drug smuggling ring.
Investigators in Winter Haven, Florida, learned that the suspects they were surveilling smuggled large amounts of drugs from Mexico into California, then transported the drugs on domestic flights from Los Angeles through Memphis, Tennessee, and then to Orlando International Airport. The drugs were then transported by ground from the airport into Polk County.
“This process uses checked bags and ghost bags. Sometimes the bag flies by itself. We are suspicious about the flights and who knew about it on the ground. We watched an impressive effort to get their drugs and avoid detection,” Judd said.
“Polk Sheriff talks about the largest wiretap investigation in county history” were the headlines in mid-August about a complex international drug ring that was brought to justice. “There is more than one boss in charge of these operations. We listened to 11 telephones for this wiretap operation,” Judd said. “The law clearly says that if there is another method, you can not use wiretaps,” so these operations could not be taken down without wiretaps. And there are more arrests to come. Hopefully, they are watching on their social media.”
What does it mean to tap a wire? Interception of the contents of communication through a secret connection to the telephone line of one whose conversations are to be monitored, usually for purposes of a criminal investigation by law enforcement officers.
“One of the suspects is in the US on political asylum. He came here to traffic in drugs; he does not appreciate the United States,” Judd told the media when describing the 85 people who had been arrested in an international drug smuggling ring that took two years to bring to justice.
During an Aug 19th press conference, the sheriff detailed one occasion where the suspects smuggled six suitcases full of drugs on a flight from LAX to Orlando.
“They didn’t as so much as throw a pair of underwear in the suitcase to act like they were hiding the drugs,” Judd said in a Friday morning press conference. “You think LAX has got a drug smuggling problem at the airport? I believe that they do, and they need to address it ASAP.”
He added, “There needs to be a deep dive into the baggage handlers, and to see where the hookup was, to allow suitcase after suitcase after suitcase to get through the scanning with no clothes inside, no evidence of clothes inside — just drugs.”
“From my lips to your ears; anyone telling you that drugs are not deadly and dangerous is lying to you,” Judd told the press after rebuking the national media for not caring about the massive, deadly consequences of what was unfolding in his city.
[9:00] “Look at the high power firearms that we seized:
WATCH:
How it started:
“Authorities say a two-year undercover investigation resulted in 85 arrests, the seizure of over $12.8 million worth of drugs, and the dismantling of an international drug trafficking organization whose ringleaders operated out of Winter Haven.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation started in September 2020, when 32-year-old Demarcus Jefferson crashed his car into a Winter Haven gas station, killing a customer inside.
Sheriff Grady Judd said surveillance video from the gas station showed people in masks running up to the totaled vehicle and grabbing items from the car’s trunk before deputies arrived at the scene. According to the sheriff, they were taking drugs out of the trunk so deputies wouldn’t find them during their crash investigation'” Fox News reported mid-August.
“They bought lots of gold with the money they made, while they were peddling poison to your kids,” Judd said, right before introducing Hass State Attorney, who Judd said was not like other prosecutors, who run from cases like this one.
“Being easy on criminals is and wanting to be their friends is not helpful. There was a lot of work that went into this and across agencies,” Brian Haas, State Attorney’s Office 10th Judicial Circuit, told the press.
“This is going to take a long time,” Haas said.
“These criminals don’t know boundaries. Make sure you elect people who are going to be tough on crime. It affects you, this trash in your area is going to make you regret these people are there,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez told the press, adding that he hopes they go to prison for a long time.
Detectives served 14 search warrants in Auburndale, Davenport, Polk City, Lake Wales, Winter Haven, and Riverview, as well as in Fresno, California, resulting in the seizure of the following:
268 pounds of Methamphetamine ($9,725,040 street value)
31 pounds of Cocaine ($1,405,337 street value)
180 pounds of Cannabis ($1,628,357 street value)
3.4 pounds of MDMA/Ecstasy ($84,601 street value)
6.8 ounces of Fentanyl ($26,880 street value)
68 Alprazolam (Xanax) pills
173 Oxycodone pills
49 firearms
3 non-active grenades
2 bulletproof vests
1 stolen motorcycle
$235,000 cash
The total street value of the confiscated drugs is more than $12.8 million, the sheriff’s office said. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 85 suspects charged with a total of 355 felonies and 93 misdemeanors.
The sheriff’s office said the suspects’ previous criminal histories include a total of 194 felony convictions.
“Fentanyl is very dangerous. the overdoses are going up and up, ” another sheriff said. Judd talked about ‘Federal partners” who were going to remain silent for the time being.
The announcement of the largest wiretap investigation came one week after the same legal team detailed a year-long gang racketeering bust of a national gang called Sex Money Murda:
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd discussed a year-long, multi-agency investigation into gang racketeering. Judds spoke in Winter Haven with Florida Attorney General Ashley Mood, Florida Department of Correction Secretary Ricky Dixon and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell.
“We listened to social media apps, cell phones and their communications through court orders,” Judd said.
Local news reported on a Polk Co investigation into a criminal gang called “Sex Money Murda” in Central Florida led to charges against 41 people.
The probe began in March 2021 when detectives uncovered what the Polk County Sheriff’s Office called an “extensive criminal network” associated with the gang.
“We took down the entire hierarchy for Sex Money Murder in the state of Florida,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
The 41 suspects face a total of 121 felony charges and 4 misdemeanors. Their criminal pasts include arrests for 1,147 felonies and 205 felony convictions.
Twelve suspects face racketeering charges under the Florida RICO Act for allegedly telling members to commit crimes from murder and drug sales to robberies and coordinated attacks on other gang members.
“There are other gangs that we are going to focus on. We aren’t done yet,” Judd said. “We have just begun.”
The Sex Money Murder gang is a subset of the United Blood Nation, according to the sheriff’s office. Polk County began to experience a series of home invasion robberies linked to the gang, starting in 2018. The sheriff’s office initiated a wire investigation of the secretary of the criminal gang, identified as 22-year-old Cerenia Mixon of Lakeland. That led to the leader of the gang in Polk County, 30-year-old Andree Romeus of Winter Haven.
Here’s a list of suspects and charges:
May 31, 2019. One arrested:
Quandavize Street, 24, of Lakeland
- Attempted first degree murder
- Robbery with a firearm (3 counts)
- Armed burglary with assault
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
- Introduction of contraband into a jail facility
July 1, 2019. One arrested:
Artavious Smith, 21, of Lakeland
- Attempted first degree murder
- Robbery with a firearm (2 counts)
- Armed burglary with battery
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Possession of a firearm by a delinquent
August 6, 2019. One arrested:
Jaquel Fleming, 25, of Auburndale
- Armed burglary with battery
- Burglary
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Resisting arrest
- Leaving the scene of a crash with property damage
- Fleeing to elude
- Fleeing to elude – reckless driving
- Knowingly driving with a suspended license
Undercover operation at 425 Van Fleet Dr. E., Bartow, July 21, 2021. 719 grams of synthetic marijuana was seized. Four arrested:
Marcus Mitchell, 19, of Lakeland
- Unlawful use of a two way communication device
- Conspiracy to intro contraband into receiving facility
- Trafficking synthetic cannabis
Telly Nance, 34, of Bartow
- Unlawful use of a two way communication device
- Conspiracy to intro contraband into receiving facility
Deondre Powell, 25, of Lakeland
- Trafficking synthetic cannabis
- Unlawful use of a two way communication device
- A male juvenile* was also arrested for possession of marijuana.
Search warrant at 3625 Kathleen Rd Lot #7, Lakeland, September 24, 2021. Over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, 8 grams of alprazolam, 52 grams of oxycodone, and 1,712 grams of Promethazine were seized. Four arrested:
Dashawn Bather, 25, of Lakeland
- Possession of cannabis
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Violation of probation
Laconia Blake, 31, of Lakeland
- Trafficking Oxycodone
- Possession of alprazolam with intent to sell
- Possession of MDMA
- Possession of a structure/vehicle to sell narcotics
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
Antoine Cruz, 25, of Winter Haven
- Possession of alprazolam with intent to sell
- Possession of a structure sell narcotics
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
Destiny Daniels, 28, of Lakeland
- Trafficking Oxycodone
- Possession of structure/vehicle to sell narcotics
- Possession of paraphernalia
October 5, 2021. Two arrested:
Daniel Jackson, 29, of Winter Haven
- Possession of cocaine
- Aggravated assault on law enforcement (2 counts)
- Aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer
- Resisting arrest with violence
- Resisting arrest
Crameshia Jackson*, 26, of Winter Haven
- Resisting officer without violence
October 12, 2021. Over 367 grams of methamphetamine; 160 grams of MDMA pills, 15 grams of marijuana, and one handgun seized. One arrested:
Dornell Anglin, 26, of Haines City
- Possession of cannabis with the intent to sale
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Resisting arrest
- Fleeing to elude
Undercover operation at 2000 S.R. 60 E., Lake Wales, October 12, 2021. Over 112 grams of methamphetamine, a handgun, and $2,790 seized. One arrested:
Jamarr Cole*, 37, of Lake Wales
- Armed trafficking in Methamphetamine
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Grand theft firearm
- Carry concealed firearm
- Unlawful use of a two way communication device
- Possession of paraphernalia
Undercover operation at 131 Scottsdale Loop, Lakeland, October 13, 2021. One arrested:
Jasmine Weber, 28, of Winter Haven
- Defraud financial institution
- Fraudulent use of credit card
- Petit theft
- Criminal use of personal ID
Flagler County, October 24, 2021. Two firearms seized (one previously reported stolen. Two arrested:
Maclindell Hardy, 29, of Fayetteville, NC
- Grand theft of a firearm
- Possession of cannabis 20 grams or less
- No valid DL
Jonathan Fleming, 33, of Wilson, NC
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Carrying a concealed firearm
Fleming, the leader of the North Carolina Sex Money Murder gang was in Florida attending a mandatory national meeting for the illegal enterprise. The gathering occurred in Osceola County.
Undercover operation at 1035 Reynolds Rd., Lakeland, December 9, 2021. 0.66 grams of fentanyl seized (one gram can kill hundreds). One arrested:
Carlos Mercado*, 24, of Lakeland
- Sale of fentanyl
- Negligent child abuse
- Unlawful use of a two way communication device
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
Undercover operation near the intersection of Reynolds Rd and Ned Engle Blvd., Lakeland, January 4, 2022. Over 7 grams of fentanyl (one gram can kill hundreds), 37 grams of marijuana, and a handgun seized. Two arrested:
Demarrius Faniel*, 30, of Lakeland
- Possession of cannabis over 20 grams
- Possession of cannabis WITS
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
- Possession of paraphernalia
- Violation of probation
Anteria Bell*, 28, of Lakeland
- Trafficking in fentanyl
- Possession of cannabis over 20 grams
- Possession of cannabis WITS
- Possession of structure to traffic narcotics
- Knowingly driving with a suspended license
- Possession of paraphernalia
Search warrant at 2461 Avenue C SW, Winter Haven, January 7, 2022. Over 90 grams of MDMA, 28 grams of mushrooms, 134 grams of promethazine, 3 grams of methamphetamine, and 249 grams of marijuana were seized. Three arrested:
Danyell Coggins, 47, of Winter Haven
- Possession of methamphetamine
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
John Davis, 40, of Winter Haven
- Trafficking phenethylamine
- Possession of methamphetamine
- Possession of cocaine
- Possession of heroin
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Possession cannabis over 20 grams
Wandy Noel, 30, of Winter Haven
- Knowingly DWLSR
Assisted FDOC Probation and Parole Services with a routine probation check at 3655 Peregrine Way, Lakeland, January 31, 2022. Three arrested:
Horatio Walker, 24, of Lakeland
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Tampering with a Witness (gang enhanced)
- Violation of probation
Raquan Thompson*, 22, of Lakeland
- Possession of cannabis
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
Tyreke Thompson*, 20, of Lakeland
- Possession of cocaine
- Possession of cannabis
- Resisting without violence
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Violation of probation
February 3, 2022. Two arrested:
Kayshia Jenkins*, 35, of Lakeland
- Possession of suspended driver’s license
Kalaysha Wilson, 22, of Lakeland
- Possession of cannabis
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Violation of probation
Undercover operation at 1502 Recker Highway, Winter Haven, February 1, 2022. Over 40 grams of marijuana seized. One arrested:
Andree Romeus, 30, of Winter Haven
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity (3 counts)
- Possession of cannabis over 20 grams
- Possession of cannabis WITS
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Possession of a structure to sell narcotics
- Knowingly driving with a suspended license
March 10, 2022. Over 30 grams of marijuana and $4000 seized. One arrested:
Leroy Scarlett, 29, of Bartow
- Possession of cannabis over 20 grams
- Possession of cannabis WITS
- Possession of paraphernalia
Search warrant at 975 Hyde Park Blvd #201, Lakeland, April 8, 2022. One arrested:
Cerenia Mixon, 22, of Lakeland
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity (2 counts)
Search warrant at 416 E. Pine Ave, Mount Dora, April 8, 2022Over 512 grams of cocaine, 485 grams of marijuana, and 3 firearms (one was stolen) were seized. One arrested:
Tonisha Fisher, 36, of Mount Dora
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
Search warrant at 4407 Sugar Loaf Way, Orlando, April 8, 2022. Over 1,535 grams of marijuana and one fully automatic handgun were seized.
Based on the search of this location and other information obtained during the investigation, a Polk County warrant was obtained for the arrest of Hernando Thompson, the Florida leader of the “Sex Money Murder” gang.
Search warrant at 158 SW Magical Ter., Lake City, April 8, 2022. Over 2,080 grams of cocaine, 901 grams of marijuana, one handgun, two rifles, ballistic body armor, and $10,687 were seized. One arrested:
James Roundtree, 33, of Lake City
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity (3 counts)
Roundtree was on probation at the time of his arrest for selling cocaine.
In custody when charged:
Donahue Stephenson, 33, currently incarcerated at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, Milton
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity
Tyreese Cruz, 24, currently incarcerated at the Central Florida Reception Center
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity (2 counts)
Deshon Morris, 26, currently in the Polk County Jail
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
Rodney Street, Jr., 25, currently in the Polk County Jail
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
Antonio Taylor, 30, currently incarcerated in the Jackson Correctional Institution
- Conspiracy to Racketeer
- Directing Criminal Gang Activity (4 counts)
Two suspects have warrants for their arrests:
- Hernando Thompson, Jr., 36, of Orlando has a Polk County warrant for his arrest for Racketeering (F1), Conspiracy to Racketeer (F1), Directing Criminal Gang Activity (F1) (3 counts). Thompson is the Sex Money Murder gang leader of Florida.
- Xavier Ulysse, 27, of Lake Wales has a Polk County warrant for his arrest for Conspiracy to Commit Murder (F1). He attempted to arrange the murder of a gang member who robbed one of the leaders.
Investigators seized more than $1.5 million worth of drugs in the operation.