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LAKE COUNTY DETECTIVES MAKE LARGEST FENTANYL BUST IN LAKE COUNTY HISTORY

LAKE COUNTY DETECTIVES MAKE LARGEST FENTANYL BUST IN LAKE COUNTY HISTORY

Lake County sheriff’s undercover narcotics detectives, in collaboration with multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies, recently wrapped up a four-month investigation that targeted high-level traffickers of dangerous drugs operating throughout Lake County. The investigation began in February as part of an ongoing, aggressive stance to combat those who are responsible for dealing this poison in Lake County and the results of this operation were quite remarkable.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Sneak-A-Peek, began in February when detectives developed information on the three main targets, Cliff Johnson, Charles Carter, and Andrew Woodruff. The investigation at times required detectives to travel throughout the state of Florida, and as far away as Georgia. Detectives learned that a lot of these drugs were originating in Mexico, crossing the borders into Texas and California, and were then either transported to Florida, or shipped to our area via various parcel services.

The investigation resulted in drug-related charges for 27 people and 3 search warrants being served. Detectives seized 4 vehicles, 13 firearms (3 of which were stolen), $12,000 cash, over 3 pounds of Fentanyl (street value of $116,000), 22 pounds of methamphetamine (street value $110,000), 15 pounds of marijuana (street value $21,000), 2 pounds of cocaine (street value $40,000), and over 5 ounces of heroin (street value of $12,000), as well as smaller amounts of other drugs. Detectives also confiscated three presses that enabled the suspects to more efficiently process and package the trafficking amounts of the drugs.

This is the largest amount of Fentanyl ever confiscated in the history of Lake County. This operation would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and inter-agency cooperation between the partners of the County-City Investigative Bureau, to include the Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, and Mount Dora Police Departments, as well as the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of the State Attorney of the Fifth Judicial Circuit.