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VIDEO: 30+ Arrested In West Volusia Drug Sweep; More Expected

Date Added: October 04, 2019 3:45 pm

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

30+ ARRESTED IN WEST VOLUSIA DRUG SWEEP; MORE EXPECTED
Operation Deal Breaker targets street-level drug sales, including open drug deals near children’s bus stops

More than 30 suspects involved in street-level drug sales were put behind bars this week as Volusia Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives fanned out across West Volusia to finish off a long-term narcotics operation that started this summer. More arrests are imminent, and Sheriff Mike Chitwood said more of these operations are on the way.

Targeting street-level drug sales, Operation Deal Breaker brought the heat into several areas where the Sheriff’s Office has received citizen complaints about drug activity, and where drug deals have been witnessed taking place near schools, parks and bus stops. In some cases, children getting off their school bus in DeLand were walking past drug deals happening a few feet away.

“To the drug dealers who want to use our streets as their own open-air drug markets, and drag down the quality of life for the honest, hard-working people of these neighborhoods, just know that we’re coming after you,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “We’re not going to let up. You’re not going to know when we’re coming next, but we’re coming.”

The operation resulted in arrest warrants for a long list suspects identified through a series of undercover drug purchases in West Volusia. Early Thursday, members of the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force and Deltona Narcotics Enforcement Team set out with search warrants and arrest warrants. Detectives conducted a reverse drug sale operation in the 1000 block of South Clara Avenue in Deland.

The search warrants resulted in the seizure of:

3 handguns
1 stolen motorcycle
14 grams of fentanyl
14.4 grams of heroin
36 grams of crack cocaine
23.5 grams of meth
31 Dilaudid pills
36.5 Oxycodone pills
38 Xanax pills
1 gram of morphine

Those arrested during the operation were:

Lidesmond Baker, 40 (DOB 2/26/1979), Orange City, armed trafficking in heroin, sale and delivery of heroin within 1,000 feet of a park, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Tajh Curry, 29 (DOB 1/3/90), DeLand, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park, sale of cocaine, sale of Dilaudid, sale of a schedule II substance.
Ian Dove, 32 (DOB 8/10/1987), Orange City, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of heroin with intent to sell, possession of meth with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Levester Hill, 64 (DOB 2/23/1954), DeLand, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Eric Knox, 42 (DOB 12/11/1976), DeLand, sale of a schedule II substance within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of a schedule II substance.
Cynthia Mackenzie, 39 (DOB 5/25/1980), Orange City, sale and delivery of heroin within 1,000 feet of a park, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Beau Shanks, 41 (DOB 8/14/1978), DeBary, sale and delivery of heroin within 1,000 feet of a park.
Destiny Thacker, 24 (DOB 12/15/1994), Orange City, possession of Hydromorphone with intent to sell.
Derrick Trice, 42 (DOB 5/30/1977), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Clarence Waldon, 62 (DOB 7/7/1957), DeLand, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Shear Yarbrough, 66 (DOB 7/30/1953), DeLeon Springs, sale and delivery of Dilaudid within 1,000 feet of a place of worship/business, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Steven Ritchie, 36 (DOB 5/21/1983), possession of meth, grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of paraphernalia; bond surrender on charges including possession of cocaine, meth, Oxycodone, Alprazolam and a schedule IV substance with intent to sell.
Christina Dickinson, 25 (DOB 11/29/1993), possession of drug paraphernalia.
William Remelius, 36 (DOB 3/15/1983), DeBary, sale and delivery of heroin.
David Treml , 48 (DOB 8/23/1971), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of a schedule IV substance, possession of a schedule II substance.
Vincent Gesuele, 51 (DOB 3/20/1968), attempted purchase of crack cocaine; violation of probation re: burglary.
Charles Barry, 64 (DOB 4/11/1955), attempted purchase of crack cocaine.
Kathleen Riley, 64 (DOB 11/12/1955), attempted purchase of crack cocaine.
Pedro De La Paz-Jaimes, 40 (DOB 2/4/1979), attempted purchase of crack cocaine.
Luis Nieves, 32 (DOB 1/21/1987), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.
Christopher Treiber, 53 (DOB 7/1/1966), attempted purchase of crack cocaine.
Radames Martinez Burgos, 42 (DOB 11/10/1976), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jacob Spaunberg, 28 (DOB 8/9/91), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia; violation of probation re: battery on a law enforcement officer.
Michael Blackston, 37 (DOB 12/23/81), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of a schedule IV substance, possession of drug paraphernalia.
Luis Acosta, 52 (DOB 11/16/1966), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, no driver’s license, providing a false name; parole violation warrant out of New York. Defendant is also a sex offender.
Douglas Kelley, 39 (DOB 4/27/1980), attempted purchase of crack cocaine; violation of probation re: grand theft. Defendant is also a sex offender.
James McDonald, 60 (DOB 6/30/1959), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia; violation of probation re: grand theft.
Erika Tompkins, 40 (DOB 3/15/1979), attempted purchase of crack cocaine, possession of Suboxone; violation of probation re: possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ashton Desaussure, 32 (DOB 5/21/1987), sale of heroin.
Milton Plaza Jr., 46 (DOB 4/2/1971), attempted purchase of cocaine.

The following 13 suspects had outstanding arrest warrants at the time of this message:

Leo Britt Jr., 51 (DOB 8/22/1968), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Travis Fisher, 33 (DOB 4/18/1986), Orange City, possession of heroin.
Felton Hill, 44 (DOB 9/3/1975), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Vondra Hill, 45 (DOB 11/28/1973), DeLand, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Anthony Knight, 51 (DOB 3/13/1968), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Shaun Krueger, 40 (DOB 9/15/1979), DeLand, possession of crack cocaine.
Michaelangelo Lane, 34 (DOB 9/30/1985), DeLeon Springs, sale and delivery of cocaine and Dilaudid.
Cornell McKenney Jr., 49 (DOB 8/7/1970), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Clarence Reddick Jr., 34 (DOB 6/8/1985), DeLand, sale and delivery of Xanax and cannabis.
Antwon Smiley, 31 (DOB 3/25/1988), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
Brent Stephens, 38 (DOB 4/7/1981), DeLand, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park.
James Stokes II, 31 (DOB 1/6/1988), Astor, possession of meth.
Joseph Wesley, 63 (DOB 2/18/1956), DeLand, sale and delivery of Dilaudid within 1,000 feet of a park.