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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

Undercover Lake County drug stings net 44 arrests and huge haul of illegal narcotics

Undercover narcotics detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office worked in conjunction recently with officers from three police departments – Clermont, Leesburg and Eustis – in two simultaneous operations targeting high-level drug traffickers.

Dubbed Operation Pull the Plug and Operation C.E.L.L. Block, the two investigations lasted approximately six months and resulted in detectives obtaining 67 arrest warrants. They were targeting traffickers responsible for distributing methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and cocaine throughout Central Florida.

Lake County sheriff’s detectives teamed with police officers from Leesburg, Clermont and Eustis to arrest 44 suspects in two recent simultaneous undercover stings aimed at drug traffickers. Twenty-three others are still wanted.

During Operation Cell Block, detectives identified Jy’kez Jackson as being responsible for distributing trafficking amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in South Lake County. As the investigation progressed, it was determined that Jackson also was responsible for distributing marijuana and homemade marijuana edibles, which were manufactured from marijuana, THC oil and cereal, a sheriff’s office report states.

During the course of the investigation, Alphonsa Williams also was identified as a high-level methamphetamine trafficker and supplier who was operating out of Wildwood, the report says.

During Operation Pull The Plug, agents identified Valentino Knowles and learned that he was responsible for distributing trafficking amounts of cocaine throughout the Leesburg area of Lake County. As the investigation progressed, detectives also identified Omar Aviles-Lopez and Julio Gonzalez-Pabon, both of whom reside in Osceola County and allegedly were supplying Knowles with trafficking amounts of cocaine.

As both operations unfolded, undercover detectives also were able to conduct several undercover drug purchases from people distributing methamphetamine, crack cocaine and other narcotics related to the operation areas.

As a result of the operations, the 67 arrest warrants were obtained for criminal charges including racketeering, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in heroin/fentanyl, trafficking in methamphetamine, sale of cocaine, sale of methamphetamine, sale of marijuana and solicitation to purchase illegal narcotics.

During two recent undercover drug stings, Lake County sheriff’s detectives seized five vehicles, more than $10,000 dollars and sizable portions of illegal narcotics.

Detectives served six search warrants, seized five vehicles and confiscated more than $10,000 dollars. They also seized about a half a kilo of cocaine (worth approximately $20,000), a kilo of methamphetamine (worth approximately $10,000), two ounces of heroin/fentanyl (worth approximately $4,000) and multiple pounds of marijuana in several different forms, including leaf, edible and oil.

Detectives arrested 44 people on the warrants obtained from the operations during a two-day sweep this past Wednesday and Thursday. Many of those arrested have extensive criminal histories for narcotics sales, weapons violations and violent crimes, the report says.

One example cited by detectives is that of Joseph Kramer, of Mascotte, arrested for conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine while out on bond for armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at the time of his arrest.
There were three additional people arrested on unrelated charges, for a total of 47 arrests so far, with 23 still wanted. One man detectives obtained a warrant for, Cliff Johnson, currently is out on bond for a Lake County homicide and is one at large.
Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell offered words of thanks to the police departments that worked with his office in the undercover operations.

“We will continue to work hard together to keep drug dealers off the streets and out of our communities,” he said. “As I’ve said before, if you’re pushing this poison onto our streets, we’re coming for you.”

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