St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Conducts Drug Sweep
A three month investigation that began with the intention of purchasing pills from street level drug dealers ended up with the arrest twenty-four people on various charges. The investigation, dubbed Operation Summertime Blues, was a collaborative effort by members of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Pierce Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Homeland Security. According to Sheriff Ken Mascara, undercover purchases of prescription medications, cocaine, heroin and marijuana were conducted and dozens of arrest warrants were obtained. Wednesday night, deputies, officers and agents coordinated efforts to arrest many of the suspects in the operation.
Also during Wednesday night’s operation, information was obtained that a male was selling counterfeit Rolex watches on Craigslist. A meeting with the seller was arranged where three counterfeit Rolex watches were produced. The seller, Daniel Marder, was arrested and charged with Offering to Sell Counterfeit merchandise. He was released from jail after posting a $15,000 bond.
“Great teamwork by multiple agencies resulted in a successful operation, bringing to justice a wide range of criminals”, Sheriff Mascara said.
Operation Summertime Blues concluded with the execution of a residential search warrant, sixteen arrest warrants, thirty-three felony probable cause charges and three misdemeanor charges. Multiple additional suspects have been identified and their arrests are anticipated.
