Five Arrests Culminate Sheriff’s Drug Investigation

By  //  October 30, 2013

BUSTED FOR sale of a controlled substance

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – During October, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office culminated a 90-day investigation targeting businesses that sell synthetic smoking products, according to BCSO Public Information Officer Deputy Maria Fernez.

During October the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office culminated a 90 day investigation targeting businesses that sell synthetic smoking products, according to BCSO Public Information Officer Deputy Maria Fernez. (BCSO image)
During October the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office culminated a 90 day investigation targeting businesses that sell synthetic smoking products, according to BCSO Public Information Officer Deputy Maria Fernez. (BCSO image)

The focus of the investigation was to identify and address businesses that actively sell items that contained controlled substances in violation of current state law. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that three stores were actively selling products that contained controlled substances.

According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the sales led to the execution of these search warrants:

[gmarker marker_latitude=”” marker_longitud=”” marker_label=””] [/gmarker]

• ABD Food and Beverage located at 78 S. Orlando Avenue, Cocoa Beach resulted in the arrest of 60-year-old Gary Speiker for the sale of a controlled substance and delivery of drug paraphernalia. Additionally, 35-year-old Ramy Fares was also arrested for the sale of a controlled substance and sale of an imitation controlled substance.

[gmarker marker_latitude=”” marker_longitud=”” marker_label=””] [/gmarker]

• Big Mike’s Island Smoke Shop, located at 45 N. Tropical Trail, Merritt Island, resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Richard Lund who was arrested for the sale of a controlled substance and the sale of an imitation controlled substance.

[gmarker marker_latitude=”” marker_longitud=”” marker_label=””] [/gmarker]

• Cape Stop Tobacco and Accessories, located at 7004 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cape Canaveral, which resulted in the arrest of 28-year-old Patrick J. Corbett for the sale of a controlled substance and the arrest of 56-year-old Yazmeen L. Griffin, for sale of a controlled substance. As a result of the search warrants, a total of 2,257 packages of synthetic smoking products were seized from the stores.

NEW ORDINANCE PROPOSED

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has been actively working with the Board of County Commissioners and County Attorney’s Office to enact a County Ordinance that will ban the sale of substances designed to imitate controlled substances that have not yet been added to the list of illegal substances by state legislators.

Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to call CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to call CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).

This ordinance is critical in insuring that retailers in Brevard County will not be allowed to continue to exploit the current state law by altering chemicals.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding this investigation to  contact the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit through the Communications Center at 321-633-7162 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). All calls to CRIMELINE are confidential, and callers can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward for information leading to an arrest.