After several months of intense investigation into a marijuana drug trafficking organization operating within Seminole County, law enforcement agencies in several Florida counties have arrested forty-one (41) persons and executed fourteen (14) search warrants. Specifically, of the 14 search warrants throughout Central Florida, five (5) are in Seminole County, five (5) in Orange County, one (1) in Lake County, one (1) in Polk County and two (2) in Pinellas County.
Law enforcement agencies determined that the several organizations were conservatively distributing $500,000.00 to $750,000.00 worth of marijuana on a weekly basis throughout the Central Florida area.
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The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office/City County Investigative Bureau in September 2009 began an investigation into a marijuana drug trafficking organization operating within Seminole County that was headed by David Cole of Chuluota. It was determined that Cole was distributing pounds of high-grade marijuana on a weekly basis to Seminole County distributors as well as distributors attending the University of Central Florida. These distributors have been identified as Nicholas Walters, David Jones III, Michael Duplantis, Andrew McCreary, Joshua Burkett, Devin Belson, Garret Gibbons, Elijah Moore Jr., Ross Goodman, Ronald Murray, Jorge J. Henkle, Rafael Leon, and Christopher Tully.
The high-grade marijuana was being distributed for $4300 to $4500 per pound and was estimated that Cole was distributing approximately $90,000.00 worth of marijuana on a weekly basis. The investigation revealed that David Cole had several sources of supply for the marijuana to include Andrew Murdock of Winter Springs, Christopher Lafata and Jacob Parks both of Orlando who distributed collectively, and Christopher South, Samuel Peterson, Thomas Carpenter and Michael Grybek of Seminole County, and Chase Alley of Orlando who all worked and distributed marijuana collectively.
On June 13, 2009 Nicholas Walters was the victim of a drug related home invasion at a residence in unincorporated Oviedo. During this incident, Walters and other associates were confronted by four males armed with guns demanding access to a safe. Walters and others were tied up while suspects stole a variety of different items.
On October 30, 2009 Christopher Lafata was the victim of a drug related home invasion at his residence located in the Waterford Trails neighborhood of Orange County. During this incident that was aired by local media, Lafata fired numerous gunshots from an assault type rifle (believed to be an AK-47) at the intruders. The investigation continued into Christopher Lafata and Jacob Parks until on January 13, 2010 the Orlando Police Department arrested the two (2) subjects in the area of the Millenia Mall. The subjects were in possession of twenty-one (21) pounds of marijuana along with a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a machine gun style pistol containing .223 armor-piercing rounds. In addition, CCIB seized $129,980.00 in cash from a safe deposit box being rented by Christopher Lafata.
On January 5, 2010 Oklahoma law enforcement authorities stopped a vehicle occupied by Kenneth Koster of Santa Barbara County California. Authorities seized thirty-three (33) pounds of high-grade marijuana from Koster who stated the marijuana was en-route to Florida. The Santa Barbara County California Sheriff’s Office were notified and executed a search warrant at the residence of Kenneth Koster and seized over 100 marijuana plants, ten (10) pounds of processed marijuana, and $27,000.00 in currency. In addition, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office arrested George Foxx, Susan Koster, and Amanda Hilton on various criminal violations. California authorities determined the marijuana plants and marijuana seized was valued at $490,000.00.
The CCIB investigation determined that the marijuana seized in Oklahoma was destined to be delivered to Seminole County to Christopher South, Samuel Peterson, Thomas Carpenter, Michael Grybek, and Chase Alley. After the seizure in Oklahoma, the investigation revealed that South, Peterson, Carpenter, Grybek and Alley hired an Orlando pilot to fly to California in order to smuggle a shipment of high-grade marijuana back to Central Florida in an effort to avoid highway drug interdiction efforts being conducted throughout the nation. The pilot and Thomas Carpenter at the direction of South, Peterson, Grybek, and Alley rented a plane from the Orlando Executive Airport in Orlando and flew to California where they met Peterson, Grybek, and Alley who had driven to California days in advance to solidify the drug smuggling venture with the California distributors. With the assistance of the Santa Barbara California Sheriff’s Office, CCIB was able to document that the air smuggling venture had in fact occurred (the aforementioned individuals have been charged with violations pertaining to the importation of marijuana into the State of Florida).
Once the marijuana arrived in Seminole County, the drugs were then distributed to members of the organization throughout the State of Florida. Agents identified these distributors as David Cole, Kyle Bachanov, Brian Fuqua, Jody Awalt, and Mark Webb.
Through the investigation, agents determined that California, due to their Proposition 215 that permits the growing of marijuana for medical use is being exploited by drug trafficking organizations throughout Central Florida. The Central Florida drug trafficking organization was paying $2400 per pound for the marijuana in California and re-selling the marijuana in Central Florida for $4300-$4500 per pound. The Central Florida drug trafficking organization would utilize a California “broker” to set up drug transactions, who in this case was George Foxx. George Foxx would broker the drug transaction between the Central Florida organization and the California marijuana growers. The California marijuana growers could only produce a certain amount of marijuana during a specific time frame so they would “pool” their marijuana and utilize Foxx to broker the deal between the buyers and the growers. The investigation continued into South, Carpenter, Peterson, Alley, and Grybek at which time CCIB determined that they were also involved in the distribution of “commercial” grade marijuana originating from Mexico. CCIB identified several Mexican drug trafficking organizations that were sources of supply for this organization that were operating out of Orange, Lake, and Polk Counties. At this time, CCIB contacted the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to assist in the investigation. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Central Florida HIDTA Support Center, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and HIDTA task forces in Polk and Pinellas County also joined in the investigation with CCIB. This joint investigation was able to identify several residences throughout Central Florida that were being utilized as “stash” houses for the distribution of large shipments of marijuana as well as identifying many members of these Mexican drug trafficking organizations. The investigation determined that these organizations were
conservatively distributing $500,000.00 to $750,000.00 worth of marijuana on a weekly basis throughout the Central Florida area.
Agents determined that the sources of supply for the Mexican marijuana to South, Peterson, Carpenter, Grybek and Alley was Marcos Antonio Marcos and Ricardo Zamora of Orlando, Jordi Hoyo and Casiano Hoyo of Davenport Florida, and Eduardo Munguia of Sorrento Florida. Agents also determined that distributors of the Mexican marijuana for the Christopher South organization was Gary Bachanov of Orlando, Bradley Carpenter and David Snyder of Pinellas County, and David Sutherland of Seminole County. In addition, agents determined that the Mexican sources of supply were also distributing large quantities of marijuana to Cromwell Henderson of Seminole County and Robert Massey of Orlando.
After several months of intense investigation, the investigation has resulted in forty-one (41) arrest warrants being issued for individuals involved in the trafficking of marijuana. In addition, fourteen (14) search warrants have been executed throughout Central Florida, five (5) in Seminole County, five (5) in Orange County, one (1) in Lake County, one (1) in Polk County and two (2) in Pinellas County.
The agencies that participated in this investigation are:
State and local agencies:
1) City County Investigative Bureau- comprised of Sheriff’s Deputies and
members from all municipal police departments within Seminole County
2) Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
3) Metropolitan Bureau Of Investigation (MBI)
4) Lake County Sheriff’s Office
5) Orange County Sheriff’s Office
6) Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
7) Orlando Police Department
8) Florida Department of Law Enforcement
9) Seminole/Brevard State Attorney’s Office
10) University of Central Florida Police Department
Federal Agencies:
1) DEA
2) Central Florida HIDTA Support Center
3) Pinellas County HIDTA task force
4) Polk County HIDTA task force
5) U.S. Marshal’s Service
California authorities:
1) Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Josh Burkette also recently died from a heroin overdose, due to depression from his fathers passing and this drug bust…only a month later he entered a coma induced from heroin. I hope you all know you ruined josh’s life and subsequently killed him. If there were no police looking for pot, then he’d be alive right now – pot is a harmless drug, and when you blow it up and turn it into this – then people start losing their cool. If he had the ability to smoke a joint instead of shoot heroin that night. I wonder if he would’ve been ok? Which goes to show- the police are a murderous calamity – they bring no justice – and if someone wanted to hurt you and were coming for you with a gun – you couldnt do anything, and neither could they. They can’t protect you 24-7. Put that in perspective. Police are useless to us, yet we allow them to destroy our lives. Anytime a police officer becomes involved the state presses charges- and no one even gets justice. What a JOKE this country’s political system is. A JOKE.
Ron,
Josh died from an overdose of Oxycontin(“roxys”) and Xanex, not heroin. And there was no evidence that it was a suicide.. He left no note, and didn’t tell anybody, including the friend he was takin pills with earlier that evening that he was feeling like he needed “a way out.”
Just an FYI
you are both wrong – josh died of an accidental overdose of xanex – that is the only thing that was in his sytem other than weed. do not go posting information when you have no idea what you are talking about. Josh was home with his mom and sister the night before this happend. He was not suicidal – i have the autopsy so i have facts. do not post speculation if you dont have facts keep your mouth shut.