POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a news conference Friday morning to discuss “Operation Capital City Crack Down,” a year-long operation that he said focused on a drug-trafficking organization based in Bartow and resulted in more than two dozen arrests.
Judd opened by mentioning his announcement last week of the indictment of 48-year-old Troy Walker in the death of a 65-year-old woman whom he’s accused of selling a fatal dose of cocaine.
The sheriff said Friday that Walker was only a worker in a grander scheme, one of 32 arrests in total.
“The folks that I’m going to introduce you to and speak specifically about have been dealing drugs in Bartow for years. You’re going to hear me talk about they have been to prison before and you’re going to hear about me talk about different amounts and kinds of drugs,” Judd said, going on to describe a suspect named Nathaniel Donald as “Our No. 1 man.”
“He’s known as Nate,” Judd said. “This man is the kingpin of Bartow. Of the drug sales that occur, he’s the tip of the spear, or the head of the snake. He’s not a pharmacist, but those under his command will make sure that you have marijuana to fentanyl, crack cocaine, MDMA, all kinds of pills to include oxycodone, hydrocodone, ketamine. We did six wire intercepts and nine search warrants, eight of the search warrants in Bartow back in November of last year, and guess what? $50,000 in ‘drip.’”
The operation began in August 2024, identifying other key members as Bryan “B” Myrick and Isaiah “Bubba” Donald, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Through the eight search warrants in Polk County and a ninth in Orange County, street drugs totaling a value of $150,000 were seized, the release states.
Some of those arrested to face charges in the operation were already on probation or pre-trial release, the sheriff’s office said, adding several firearms were recovered from convicted felons.
The list of arrests in the operation is as follows, per the sheriff’s office:
- Troy Cortez Walker, 48, of Bartow: 1st Degree Murder, Conspiracy to purchase cocaine (6 counts), Conspiracy to purchase Oxycodone (2 counts), Conspiracy to sell cocaine (1 count), Unlawful use of two way communication device, Possession of Cocaine with intent to sell, Possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of cannabis under 20 grams, Possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Bryan Bernard Myrick, 42, of Bartow: Conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 28 grams (2 counts), Conspiracy to sell cocaine (35 counts), Conspiracy to sell Oxycodone (2 counts), Conspiracy to sell MDMA (3 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (65 counts), Conspiracy to purchase alprazolam (2 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device, Trafficking in methamphetamine over 200 grams, Trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams, Trafficking in fentanyl over 14 grams, Trafficking in MDMA, Possession of cannabis over 20 grams, Possession of cannabis with the intent to sell, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Maintaining a residence to traffic drugs, Possession of oxycodone, Possession of hydrocodone, Possession of hydromorphone, and Violation of probation. .
- Nathaniel Demond Donald, 43, of Bartow: Conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 28 grams (3 counts), Conspiracy to sell cocaine (7 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (2 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device, Traffic cocaine 28 grams (2 counts), Maintain a structure/conveyance for drug trafficking (2 counts), Possession of cocaine with intent to sell, Possession of Oxycodone, Possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Isaiah Donald II, 54, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (2 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device, Traffic Cocaine over 28 grams, Maintain a structure for drug trafficking, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Elijah Golshan-Nejad, 23, of Orlando: Conspiracy to sell cannabis (4 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device, Possession of cannabis over 20 grams, Possession of cannabis with intent to sell, Maintain a conveyance for drug sale, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Chalese Leshelle Boatwright, 36, of Lake Wales: Conspiracy to Sell Cannabis (3 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device.
- Emily Grace Troup, 26, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (1 count), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (3 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device.
- Gloria Awilda Nazario, 37, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cannabis (7 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Gomorrah Clayton Myrick, 62, of Lakeland: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (2 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Herbert Emanuel Merricks III, 42, of Lakeland: Conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 28 grams (1 count), Conspiracy to sell alprazolam (2 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Jesus Gonzalez, 46, of Lake Wales: Conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 28 grams (1 count), Conspiracy to sell cocaine (4 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Johnnie Stacy II, 40, of Mulberry: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (1 count), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Lydell Brown, 55, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell MDMA (3 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (7 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Maurice Lamar Garrison, 43, of Lakeland: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (13 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (5 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Michael Anthony Lewis, 42, of Lakeland: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (3 counts), Unlawful use of a two communication device.
- Qua’nisha Daphene Reaves, 32, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cannabis (11 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Steven Lynn Baker, 54, of Fort Meade: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (2 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (4 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Willie Barber, 41, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cocaine (10 counts), Conspiracy to sell cannabis (13 counts), Unlawful use of a two way communication device.
- Kimani Naivasha Vinetha Cook, 33, of Bartow: Conspiracy to sell cannabis (6 counts), Unlawful use of two way communication device.
- Shania Hawthorne, 26, of Lake Alfred: Possession of cocaine, Possession of cannabis under 20 grams, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Provide false identification to LEO.
- Frederick Smith, 54, of Bartow: Possession of cocaine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Provide false name to LEO, Violation of probation.
- Eboni Moran, 27, of Bartow: Trafficking in methamphetamine over 200 grams, Trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams, Trafficking in fentanyl over 14 grams, Trafficking in MDMA, Possession of cannabis over 20 grams, Possession of cannabis with the intent to sell, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Maintaining a residence to traffic drugs, Possession of oxycodone, Possession of hydrocodone, and Possession of hydromorphone.
- Maickol Caballero-Medina, 24, of Bartow (illegally in U.S. from Venezuela, according to Judd): Traffic in Phenethylam, Maintain a structure for drug trafficking, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Pearlie Williams, 47, of Lake Wales: Possession of cocaine, Possession of cannabis 20 grams, Maintain a conveyance for drug use, Possession of paraphernalia, Driving while license suspended/revoked.
- Princess Coney, 66, of Bartow: Possession of cocaine, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Belinda Snell, 64, of Bartow: Possession of cocaine, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Brenton Ammons, 42, of Bartow: Traffic in Cocaine over 28 grams, Possession of cocaine with intent to sell, Possession of cannabis with intent to sell, Possession of cannabis over 20 grams, Maintain a structure for trafficking, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Murray Randolph, 35, of Bartow: Possession of cocaine, Possession of cannabis under 20 grams, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Archie Rogers Jr, 66, of Bartow: Possession of cocaine with intent to sell, Possession of cannabis with intent to sell, Maintain a structure for drug sales, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Possession of cannabis over 20 grams, Possession of paraphernalia.
- Charles McCray, 45, of Lake Wales: Possession of cocaine, Possession of paraphernalia, resist officer without violence, Provide false name to LEO.
- Jahcel Wilson, 48, of Bartow: Traffic Cocaine over 28 grams, Possession of cocaine with intent to sell, Maintain a structure/vehicle for drug trafficking, Possession of paraphernalia, Possession of cannabis under 20 grams, Possession of prescription drug without prescription.
- Anthony Sanders, 51, of Bartow: Sale of cocaine, Possession of cocaine with intent to sell, Possession of Cannabis with intent to sell, Possession of cannabis under 20 grams, Maintain conveyance/structure for drug sales, Possession of paraphernalia (2 counts).
The sheriff’s office cited help from the State Attorney’s Office’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the FBI, the Bartow Police Department and the Auburndale Police Department.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.