Polk County sheriff wears $50K in seized jewelry to announce drug trafficking arrests

The Sheriff Grady Judd, a sheriff of Florida without frills known for his difficult word and his staging, announced the withdrawal of a drug trafficking gang by wearing the gold chain and the bracelet of the leader during a press conference.

The Sheriff of Polk County wore the jewelry to bring home what he called the fatal consequences of the so-called “low level” drug trafficking. He also resisted weapons to underline his argument that the dealers are armed and dangerous.

“I had their drop. I got their money. We got their weapons. We got their dope,” said Judd on Friday, revealing the results of a one -year investigation that led to the arrest of 32 suspects in Bartow.

Judd identified Nathaniel “Nate” Donald, a recurrence, as leading the network and said that a member of his ring had sold cocaine to Irene Anderson, 65, on Saturday evening last year. Anderson collapsed and died a few hours later as she went to the church.

Florida’s sheriff tears the fight of the “reprehensible” lake after 8 stops

Polk Grady Judd’s County sheriff has a revolver at a press conference on “Operation Capital City Crack Down”. (Wtvt)

“She came out of her house in the church when she collapsed. So she died so that Nate could have this drop by drop,” said Judd. “Have you heard what I said? He buys this drop to sell drugs to people on the street, one of whom is dead.”

Judd said the police had carried out six cable interceptions and eight search terms in Bartow last November, which discovered $ 50,000 in jewelry.

The Sheriff of Polk County, Grady Judd, has photos of two suspects at a press conference on “Operation Capital City Crack Down”, which led to 32 arrests. (Wtvt)

Fugitive Cocky Social Media Challenge for Sheriffs in spectacular fashion

“But I want you to imagine this for a minute. People continue to tell you that the drugs are low and not violent,” said Judd. “They are anything but low -level and non -violent. Where you see $ 50,000 in drop, where you see that” not so dangerous “drugs of cannabis, you see firearms and you see a murder in the first degree of overdose.”

The detectives identified Donald, Bryan “B” Myrick and Isaiah “Bubba” Donald as key members of the network. Myrick, who was released from prison in 2021 for cocaine trafficking, is now faced with dozens of new counts, including the plot to sell cocaine and traffic from methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA.

Troy Walker, supplied by Myrick, sold cocaine to Anderson and has since been charged for a first degree murder in his death by overdose.

In total, the investigators seized thousands of grams of illegal drugs with a combined street value of $ 150,000. The arrests included suspects already on probation or the liberation prior to the trial, and several firearms were recovered from convicted criminals. The detectives said that the criminal history combined with suspects total 554 crimes and 394 crimes.

Judd said the only place for drug traffickers was in prison because when they are released, they quickly reoffended – often with fatal consequences.

Investigators published a graph showing 32 suspects and their roles in “Operation Capital City Crack Down”, a one -year investigation into drug trafficking in Bartow. (Pcso / handout)

Click here to obtain the Fox News app

“They are a threat to society. They have to stay in prison or people die,” said Judd. “The one who tells you that the narcotics are low and not violent – they are crazy.”

The investigation, nicknamed “Operation Capital City Crack Down”, began in August 2024. It was led by the Tactical PCSO drug unit, the organized crime unit and the Hidta working group with the support of the state prosecutor’s office, internal security surveys, Border Patrol, FBI, FBI, from the Bartow Police Service and other partners.