HOLLY HILL, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff is responding to a Holly Hill church pastor who told News 6 her son was not involved in a major drug and gang operation.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood says Greater Harvest Ministries sits just 25 feet from a house raided early Tuesday morning as part of an investigation into a gang called the Cut Throat Killers. So far, 45 people have been arrested, and law enforcement is searching for a dozen others.
“You have one building dedicated to quote-unquote ‘saving souls’ and the other building that was dedicated to destroying souls,” Chitwood said.
[WATCH: Volusia sheriff, Daytona Beach police target gang linked to fatal overdoses, shootings]
Chitwood says his office and Daytona Beach Police began investigating the group more than a year ago after linking several fatal overdoses and shootings to the same gang. His office conducted surveillance on the property for nearly a year and worked with the FBI to wiretap suspects.
“How you could not see all this activity that’s going on out there? We’re out there doing surveillance seven days a week for almost a year. And during church services, they were selling dope out of that house,” Chitwood said.
During Tuesday’s operation, deputies raided the house next to the church, searched other properties and arrested several suspects — including the pastor’s son, Ermando Lewis, and her 17-year-old grandson. Those arrested face drug, drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Chitwood directed his response at comments made by Pastor Terry Brown, who spoke to News 6 after a reporter knocked on her door Tuesday.
“My kids were not running no operation out of the house, no. Not that we were aware of anyways. My son lived there and it was a rooming house, and so I’d rent out to guys who didn’t have anywhere to live,” Brown said.
Chitwood pushed back firmly on the pastor’s claims.
“When you say things like, ‘Oh, my son’s innocent,’ or ‘I didn’t know what was going on,’ or ‘I’m a property owner, that’s not my responsibility,’ you’re damn right, you’re just as responsible as everybody else is,” he said.
Despite his pointed remarks, the sheriff said investigators cannot prove Brown was involved or had knowledge of the operation and does not expect her to face charges.
“At the end of the day, these scumbags are murdering people,” Chitwood said.