Marquis Sharod Bellamy, 28, was sentenced on July 1, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 180 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Deputies said they also found five loaded guns and nearly $3,000 in cash. I would stress that we dont have as big as a problem as some of the east coast and west coast counties but we do recognize it as a growing problem, and if they are selling one opioid here in our county then thats an issue, Sheriff Blackman said. 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USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov, Southern District of Florida Dixon has received the following charges: The Highlands County Sheriffs Office said Dixon previously spent 9 years in prison on federal drug charges and completed his probation in 2020. Eleven grams of cannabis were found in the garage under a beige couch, the report states. or anything. racist or sexually-oriented language. 21-CR-14002). He continued to say the investigation had spanned many months and countless hours of work by investigators in multiple agencies. person will not be tolerated. Takaria Vashon McCray, 47, was sentenced on Aug. 25, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 188 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Sheena Kristen Garcia, 35, of Sebring: sale of oxycodone. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( "There are always going to be people to profit off of human suffering.". Choose wisely! Mykel Laron Treadwell, 34, was sentenced on June 2, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 24 months' imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute hydromorphone. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Im very proud of the work done by the deputies involved in this arrest, Sheriff Paul Blackman said in a press rleease. More information about this case can be found atwww.flsd.uscourts.govorhttp://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. As a result, Highland County SO now has detectives that are task force members with the DEA, the FBI, the ATF and the United States Marshals Service. Fax Line: (305) 530-7679. An official website of the United States government. "I do not understand how people can do this, other than just pure greed and evil," stated Dressel. Coy Lee Bellamy, Jr., 34, was sentenced on August 17, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 96 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and conspiracy to distribute a cocaine. Invalid password or account does not exist. We won't share it with anyone else. Markyrie McCray, Sr., 46, was sentenced on Aug. 25, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 72 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. WebPOLK COUNTY, Fla. More than $50 million worth of methamphetamine linked to the Juarez Mexican Drug Cartel was seized during a joint drug investigation between the We arent finished, either. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Deputies said their investigation began this summer after learning that Dixon was allegedly selling fentanyl out of his home. COURTESY/HIGHLANDS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, International drug smuggling ring with Highlands County connection dismantled. The most recent obituaries newsletter, sent out every morning. Mike DeWine suffered injury while in East Palestine, Eastlake City Council president pleads not guilty to solicitation, Missing 17-year-old Cleveland boy last seen at Lake Erie High School, Ohio Gov. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter. Kenneth Jamal Deveaux has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. 20 of the arrests were charged with selling narcotics, the other three for drug possession. 21-CR-14002). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Working with our federal and state partners, we have stopped the flow of nearly a million dollars per week of methamphetamine coming into our community.. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. Sheriffs Public Information Officer Scott Dressel said he did not have information on how authorities learned that information. They were also prohibited from carrying firearms, said police. Marquis Sharod Bellamy, 28, was sentenced on July 1, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 180 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Mark Antonio Hanson, 32, of Sebring: sale of methamphetamine, possession of drug equipment. Other people linked with the drug trafficking organization were arrested prior to Thursday: Victor Antonio Delagua, 27, of 1517 Melady Ave. in Sebring, was arrested Feb. 8 and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of drug equipment, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and probation violation after he was found with 13 grams of methamphetamine and 255.3 grams (more than half a pound) of marijuana during a probation search of his home. Highlands County Sheriffs Office arrested Dahlin Stanton, 20, of Lake Placid, on Nov. 29. The narcotics team at the HCSO reportedly found illegal drugs at a home in Lake Placid. Steven Hanna, 20, of West Park: obtaining a controlled substance (codeine) by fraud. Eight individuals have been identified as defendants in the case and are expected to face both state and federal indictments. Marquis Sharod Bellamy, 28, was sentenced on July 1, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 180 months' imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. McCray has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. For more than a year, federal, state, and local law enforcement worked on a massive operation dubbed Operation Triple Play that targeted drug dealers and violent criminals in Highlands County. Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Paul Blackman, Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriff's Office made the announcement. Chief Dolan said charges are pending and the suspects names are not being released at this time. A lock ( Create a password that only you will remember. I have made it a high priority of our agency to target not just street-level drug dealers, but mid- and upper-level drug traffickers, Sheriff Paul Blackman said Friday morning. 21-CR-14002). Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Paul Blackman, Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriffs Office made the announcement. Donna Alice Bermudez, 56, of Avon Park: sale of methamphetamine, possession of drug equipment. The junior Bellamy was sentenced as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. Local public notices delivered daily to your email account. Liquid THC, a concentrated form of the addictive substance in marijuana, is often put in vape pens and smoked. Molina Rebecca Lynn Taylor, 36, of Sebring: sale of oxycodone (two counts), possession of drug equipment, possession of marijuana. 21-CR-14002). Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Some face federal charges. Melissa Lynn McIntosh-Paniccia, 47, of Sebring: sale of methamphetamine (two counts), possession of drug equipment, using a two-way device to facilitate a felony. Four people were arrested in Ellsworth last Thursday after nearly 4 pounds of fentanyl was recovered in a drug bust spanning Hancock and Somerset counties. Derick Demon Hammonds, 38, of Sebring: sale of oxycodone (two counts), possession of drug equipment. Lock Markyrie McCray, Sr. has a prior conviction from the Southern District of Florida for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. Threats of harming another According to a release from the Highlands County Sheriffs Office, Ezzard Charles Dixon, 47, was arrested on Tuesday after a search warrant turned up multiple types of drugs and guns. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. (Case No. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Coy Lee Bellamy, Jr., 34, was sentenced on Aug. 17, 2021, by Judge Middlebrooks, to 96 months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and conspiracy to distribute a cocaine. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Molina-Etchechury was one of eight arrested Thursday when an international drug smuggling ring with Highlands County connections was dismantled. 21-CR-14002). COURTESY PHOTO/HIGHLANDS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, COURTESY PHOTO/HIGHLANDS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE/, COURTESY PHOTO/HIGHLANDS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Paul Blackman, Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriffs Office made the announcement. Create a password that only you will remember. She was arrested numerous times in Pasco County before she got clean. Kenneth Jamal Deveaux, 39, was sentenced on May 26, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, to 151 months' imprisonment after being convicted of distribution of cocaine base. WebMulti-Agency Operation Nets more than 70 arrests in Highlands County SEBRING, Fla. On September 30, 2010, a multi-agency federal, state, and local task force conducted an WebBEACHWOOD, Ohio (WOIO) Two men suspected of drug trafficking were arrested in the parking lot of Beachwood Place and police said they seized two guns, suspected All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. To put that in perspective, that would be enough to kill nearly 40 percent of the people in Highlands County, an HCSO spokesperson noted. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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