Flagler County Sheriff's Office charges 24 people in operation targeting drug dealing
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office obtained arrest warrants for 24 people accused of dealing drugs as part of a 14-month investigation called Operation Winter Wonder Cells, according to a press release.
The sheriff’s office had served arrest warrants on 20 of the 24 by Thursday afternoon, and deputies were searching for the remaining four people, the release stated.
As of Thursday’s arrests, deputies had seized more than $277,000 in narcotics as part of the operation along with fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, cocaine, THC oil, methamphetamine, and cannabis, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Some of the people targeted in the operation were already detained at the Flagler County jail, the release stated.
The 24 people accused of dealing drugs face a combined total of more than 160 felony charges, according to Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, who joined his deputies in serving the arrest warrants. The group also has previous convictions, he stated.
“On the whole, these poison peddlers have been convicted 48 times,” Staly stated in the press release. “These drug dealers are now finding out what happens to drug pushers in Flagler County. If you are a drug dealer in Flagler County and we didn’t get you this time, you better watch over your shoulder as we will get you next.”
One of the accused dealers is Michael McIntyre, 35, of Palm Coast, who is currently serving time on a drug conviction.
McIntyre was sentenced in December to 20 years in prison for supplying fentanyl to 33-year-old Chelsea Price, who was found dead in August 2020 at her home in Palm Coast. Price’s body contained 10 times the amount of fentanyl needed to kill an adult.
McIntyre faces a new charge of trafficking methamphetamine as a result of the sheriff’s office operation, according to the release.
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Those arrested ranged in age from 23 to 69 and face a variety of charges, including trafficking cocaine; unlawful use of a two-way communication device; sale of cannabis; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; trafficking oxycodone; sale of heroin; sale of THC oil; sale of cannabis within 1000 feet of a school; and sale of fentanyl with 1,000 of a school.
The following people charged as part of the operation: Shannon Seymour, 27, Joshua LeMaster, 27, Lynn Schrecengost, 69, Daniel McIntyre, 30, Michael McIntyre, 35, Arvin Long, 24, Lomack Bennett, 33, Rodney Hill, 44, Michael Jackson, 35, Jonathan Demartino, 40, Austin Flores, 24, Kijante Toussaint, 29, John Mancuso, 58, Sean Wilkes, 26, and Zachary Pierce, 33, all of Palm Coast; Dakota Brill, 29, Keith Harper, 47, and Capers McClendon, 28, all of Bunnell; and Stacey Pringle, 51, of Flagler Beach, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office as of Thursday had active warrants for Xavier McCall, 23, Victor Cepeda, 26, and Erik Zimmermann, 29, as well as one other person whose name was not released.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Sheriff charges 24 in operation targeting drug dealing
