The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 42-year-old man and a 36-year-old man in a large-scale drug bust. The Florida drug trafficking arrests occurred on a recent Friday during what authorities are referring to as a “buy/bust” operation. In addition to arresting the suspects in the case, authorities also say they seized a large amount of cocaine, which purportedly holds an estimated street value of $300,000.
The arrest was a part of a long term investigation conducted by the sheriff’s office. It involved multiple search warrants in addition to the drug bust that culminated in the arrest and seizure of cocaine. Police also seized $2,665 cash and a Dodge Ram 1500 vehicle after searching one of the men’s homes.
Prior to his apprehension, police claim that the 42-year-old man tried to run away from them. However, officers soon caught up to him and subdued him. He was then placed him under arrest.
It was not until authorities later tracked down a storage unit connected with the alleged drug activity that they allegedly found 7 kilograms of cocaine. They also claim they found multiple kilo presses and a cocaine cutting agent. Due to the items found and the circumstances of the man’s arrest, he has been charged with multiple criminal violations.
The 42-year-old man, who hales from Tampa has been charged with 7 counts of drug trafficking, cocaine possession and drug paraphernalia possession. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old man has been charged with two counts of cocaine trafficking, two counts of drug paraphernalia possession and obstructing an officer. Both of these men will be entitled to a criminal defense and an attorney to represent them in their Florida criminal proceedings. If, during their criminal proceedings, the prosecution is not able to prove that the men are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, no conviction is possible for the crimes charged.
Source: Brandon Fl Patch, “Drug Bust Nets 2 Arrests, $300,000 in Cocaine“, Sherri Lonon, March 23, 2015
