Page 36 - Florida Sentinel 7-30-21

Crime
‘Operation Bell Gang Blues’ Ends With 32 Arrests
Woman Charged
A 16-month undercover investigation, in Polk County has resulted in the identifica- tion and arrests of several in- dividuals. The Sheriff’s Office undercover Narcotics detec- tives and the HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) task force made 29 ar- rests in the Lake Wales area and obtained three arrest warrants related to the traf- ficking, sale, and possession of illegal narcotics.
During the investigation, detectives and agents exe- cuted search warrants at eight locations in southeast Polk County.
Detectives filed 301 total felony and 134 total misde- meanor charges against the suspects during the investiga- tion.
“It amazes me that some people still think drug traf- fickers are somehow low- level, non-violent criminals. In this instance, eleven guns were in the hands of these felons – two of which were stolen. Illegal drugs ruin lives, destroy families, drive up property crime, and wreck neighborhoods. Our commu- nity is safer because of the outstanding work by our de- tectives,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
OPERATION BELL GANG BLUES
Those arrested who reside in Lake Wales are: Jerald Anderson, 35; Fenel Ce- lestin, 33; Ashauntea Dias, 20; Patrick Fields, 34; Silvia Gonzalez, 41; ;Johnny Hamilton, 55; Jackquez Irving, 28; Jose Lopez-Ortiz, 26; James McClain, 34; Maurice Owens, 42; Tremaine Parker, 29; Letisha Kaye Pride, 47; Uquasha Pride, 19; Dennis Richmond, 59; Earl Thomas, 67; and Vin- cent Thomas, 37.
Others arrested were George Ashe, 43, of Bar- tow; Kerry Johnson, 42 of Orlando; Adrienne Kinsler, 31, of Plant City; and Mitchell Ware, 68, of Coral Springs.
William Byrd, 29, and Julie Howell, 37, of Lake- land were both arrested.
Kelvin Eads, 47, and Heidi Sutton, 39, of Frost- proof were also arrested.
And residents of Winter Haven who were arrested in- cluded: Shantavis Hand- ford, 19; Clifford Hart, 35, Ta’Quasia Primus, 23, and 20-year-old Ni’aisia Ross.
Three people are still at large. They are: Angela Dunklebarger, 49, and Tavoris Jones, 37, both of
Lake Wales are both wanted for conspiracy to purchase marijuana and unlawful use of a two-way device. Jones is wanted for 15 counts of con- spiracy to purchase mari- juana.
Reginald Phillips, 37, of Dundee, is also wanted for 2 counts of conspiracy to sell marijuana and unlawful use of two communication de- vice.
Several items were also confiscated during the inves- tigation, including: 11 firearms seized (2 were re- ported as stolen); approxi- mately 22.4 pounds of marijuana seized (street value: approximately $100,000); approximately 4.3 pounds of methampheta- mine seized (street value: ap- proximately $97,950); approximately 1.7 pounds of cocaine seized (street value: approximately $81,000); ap- proximately 36.3 grams of Ecstasy (street value: approx- imately $3,630); approxi- mately 32 bags of THC candy (street value: approximately $640); approximately 2.5 grams of heroin (street value: approximately $500); and approximately 5 grams of oxycodone seized (street value: approximately $100).
A 27-year-old woman linked to the riots must un- dergo a second mental evalu- ation. She had reportedly agreed to serve 3 years in prison through a plea bar- gain.
However, Attorney Bryant Camareno told the judge last week that he had Ms. Promise Goodwine evaluated and she is incom- petent. The attorneys repre- senting the State Attorney’s Office have requested that Ms. Goodwine be evalu- ated by their own doctor.
Ms. Goodwine was ar- rested in January 2021 and is facing several charges stem-
PROMISE GOODWINE
ming from the burglary and theft from the CVS on E. Fowler Avenue. The store was looted after violence erupted in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
With Looting ‘Unfit’
To Go To Prison
Robbery Suspect Cashes In Winning Lottery Tickets
GAS STATION SUSPECT
Last month, an unidenti- fied assailant robbed a gas stolen and escaped with cash and lottery tickets. Police are trying to identify the man.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, on June 14th, around 9:30 p.m., a man entered Thorn- ton’s Gas Station, 4103 Gunn Highway. He fled the scene with two packages of lottery tickets.
He then went to several convenience stores in Hills- borough County and cashed in the winning lottery tickets. At one of the locations, he was driving a black Dodge Ram pickup truck with a sil- ver vertical stripe on the pas- senger rear side of the
SUSPECT VEHICLE
vehicle.
The man is described as
being a Black man, about 5’9,” between the ages of 20 and 25-years-old and weigh- ing about 150 pounds.
Hillsborough County
Sheriff Chad Chronister
said, “This man stole more than $1,500 in lottery tickets and cigarettes and mistak- enly thought he was going to get away with it.
“His actions have serious consequences and our detec- tives are working to locate and arrest this man.”
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.
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