INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Dealers working to disguise fentanyl mixed with other drugs – with some causing overdose deaths – are now facing federal and state charges, along with prison time. With illegal drugs coming in from all areas – including Mexico – deputies are pushing to rid the county of the substances and put the sellers behind bars.
Deputies recovered about a pound of pressed pills mixed with fentanyl during “Operation Knockdown” last year, along with five pounds of methamphetamine and one ounce of cocaine. PHOTO PROVIDED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
“We’re focused on this fentanyl. This is where we’re having the big overdoses at,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said during a Tuesday news conference at the agency. “We’ve had rolling operations since I took office as sheriff. Our team is doing an amazing job getting this poison off our streets.”
Deputies worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Port St. Lucie Police Department throughout an investigation deemed “Operation Knockdown.”
Flowers spoke about the drug probe where deputies arrested 12 suspects last year. The sheriff showed pictures of the drugs, noting that fentanyl came come in various shapes and forms.
“Fentanyl is being mixed in with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drug, sold as powders and nasal sprays, and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids,” DEA officials said. “Because there is no official oversight or quality control, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl, with none of the promised drug.”
Deputies recovered nearly a pound of fentanyl, five pounds and four ounces of methamphetamine and one ounce of cocaine during the narcotics investigation, Flowers said. Some dealers with charges of drug trafficking and selling or delivering fentanyl were recently sentenced to prison while others were still awaiting court dates.
Jamiey Parker was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, Donald Rolle was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, Sudiata Stinson was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison and Rashard Williams was sentenced to five years in state prison, Flowers said.
Some being held at the Indian River County Jail could possibly have more charges filed against them, Flowers said.
The sheriff said Joel Flowers sold nearly 400 pressed fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone to a confidential informant. Another man, Marlon Clarke, supplied the drugs to Joel Flowers.
“This is extremely dangerous,” Flowers said. “This is what leads to overdoses.”
Both men, who were arrested last year on drug trafficking charges, were awaiting court dates.
Flowers said deputies arrested multiple sellers in connection with fatal overdose cases during the last few years in Indian River County: seven arrests in 2021, nine arrests in 2022, three arrests in 2023 and one so far this year. There have been three fatal overdoses in 2024 for Indian River County, officials said.
“This is a massive operation for our team,” the sheriff said.
Flowers said deputies continue to search for Paul Bryant, a target of a previous drug investigation named “Operation Ghostbuster” that lasted from 2022 to 2023. Bryant, who has an active warrant for his arrest, is wanted on a variety of charges including drug trafficking.
Fentanyl, a scheduled II controlled substance, is 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the DEA. Federal officials said fentanyl is manufactured in foreign labs, smuggled into the U.S. through Mexico, distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market.
“Because of its potency and low cost, drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction,” DEA officials said. An overdose of the potent drug can cause respiratory failure, leading to death.
Flowers said there are many unsolved fatal overdose deaths in Indian River County.
“In every single one of these cases, our goal is to get back to who sold these drugs to this person. Unfortunately, we can’t always trace it back and don’t always have cooperative people involved,” Flowers said. “We rely on families to tell us information about the drug overdose, about the person and what they’ve been dealing with.”
A woman present at the news conference, who did not want to be named, said her husband died after overdosing on drugs mixed with fentanyl in 2021. The woman, who had a calm demeanor, said the person who sold her husband the drugs is waiting to be sentenced.
“The smallest amount (of fentanyl) can kill (someone),” the woman said. “My husband loved me with all his heart. Addiction is a disease. It took him over, but it didn’t change how he loved me.”
The woman said there is not enough support for people dealing with the aftermath of a loved one who dies from an overdose. Those battling addiction can find help with treatment services offered at the Substance Awareness Center of Indian River County and Vero Beach Recovery Center.
Flowers said he wants to make sure those selling fentanyl and other illegal substances go to prison for a long time. Those with information about Bryant’s whereabouts can anonymously contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers and possibly be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.