East Volusia drug sweep nets 18 arrests, more expected

drug sweep in East Volusia by narcotics agents assisted by confidential informants Tuesday nabbed 18 people and at least 25 more arrests expected, a Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman said. "Operation Clean Sweep" targeted areas up and down the east side of Volusia County but focused on New Smyrna Beach where police executed three search warrants, said sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson. Narcotics agents seized hydrocodone and marijuana along with marijuana growing equipment at a home at 428 South Myrtle Ave., Davidson said. The drug busts were the culmination of a six-month investigation prompted by neighborhood complaints and anonymous calls reporting drug activity. In addition to a room searched at the Inn Paradise, 1157 N. Dixie Freeway, and a home at 610 Warn-Ree Circle, agents fanned out to numerous locations to pick up suspects. During the six-month investigation, undercover agents and confidential informants bought drugs ranging from marijuana, crack cocaine and hydrocodone to heroin and methamphetamine, Davidson said. Many of the suspects were street dealers already known to investigators. Agents also discovered many of the suspects had ties with one another and often traveled from city to city to either sell drugs to known addicts or supply other street dealers, Davidson said. Agents believe the suspects generated thousands of dollars worth of profits each week and sold more than $100,000 worth of illegal drugs in the past few months, Davidson said. The investigation is ongoing and agents of the multi-agency East Volusia Narcotics Task Force, assisted by the West Volusia Narcotics task Force, continue to search for another 25 people with drug warrants connected to the investigation. Those arrested, with charges and bail, include: - Terry L. Ammons, 27, New Smyrna Beach, three counts sale and delivery of cocaine. $125,000 bail. - John K. Arwood, 29, Daytona Beach, sale of a Schedule II substance. $50,000 bail. - Jessie L. Brown, 41, Edgewater, three counts sale and delivery of cocaine. $125,000 bail. - Jimmy L. Clark Jr., 38, New Smyrna Beach, sale of cocaine. $25,000 bail. - Wesley Evans III, 41, New Smyrna Beach, sale of cocaine. $20,000 bail. - Cheryl R. Ferryman, 54, Ormond Beach, two counts of trafficking hydrocodone. $100,000 bail. - Virgil George, 78, Daytona Beach, trafficking in hydrocodone, possession of marijuana under 20 grams. $25,500 bail. - Arais C. Key, 24, New Smyrna Beach, four counts sale and delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia. $76,000 bail. - Ray E. Leach, 26, New Smyrna Beach, sale and delivery of a controlled substance. $50,000 bail. - Tondrica R. Miller, 20, Orlando, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia. $1,000 bail. - Tabitha Moore, 21, New Smyrna Beach, two counts sale of cocaine. $35,000 bail. Malcolm M. Peterson, 33, New Smyrna Beach, three counts sale and delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, manufacture of marijuana, possession of hydrocodone, possession of drug paraphernalia and ownership, lease, rental or possession for manufacturing cocaine. $157,000 bail. - James A. Sanator, 76, New Smyrna Beach, three counts sale of cocaine, two counts trafficking in hydrocodone, possession of drug paraphernalia. $100,500 bail. - Richard L. Sanders, 53, Ormond Beach, two counts trafficking in hydrocodone. $100,000 bail. - Carl L. Walker, 57, New Smyrna Beach, sale and delivery of cocaine, possession of marijuana under 20 grams. $20,500 bail. - Derika C. Woodard, 23, New Smyrna Beach, sale and delivery of cocaine. $20,000 bail. - Lee C. Hocker, 55, Oak Hill, sale and delivery of a controlled substance. $15,000 bail. - Roger Slade, 45, Port Orange, sale of a schedule II narcotic, $15,000 bail.