Undercover cocaine probe leads to man’s arrest

FELLSMERE — A man was jailed Tuesday after deputies said he sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant twice in a location not far from a church and daycare center.

Bernard Wesley McPhee Jr., 57, who officials described as homeless, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school property, sale and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, possession of cocaine and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. McPhee was held Thursday at the Indian River County Jail on $130,000 bond.

The investigation was conducted by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol Agents. The confidential informant called McPhee’s phone to set up the drug deals on Aug. 13 and Aug. 17 to purchase $100 worth of cocaine each time, reports show.

Deputies equipped the informant with hidden electronic audio and video devices, which allowed detectives to watch the transactions in real time and at later dates. Detectives gave the informant the money for the drug deals, reports show.

The informant drove to Booker Street in Fellsmere to conduct the transactions. McPhee sent a man and woman to sell the narcotics to the informant for the first drug deal, deputies said.

The man and woman told the informant that “Phee was in Vero” and “he called us,” reports show. For the second drug deal, McPhee met the informant in person on Booker Street.

For both transactions, the informant was given a white rock-like substance which later tested positive for cocaine, reports show. The drug deals happened not far from Fellsmere Community Prayer and Worship Daycare, officials said.

McPhee was arrested and booked into the county jail. McPhee has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Dec. 2, court records show.