Major drug trafficking ring dismantled in Volusia County

Ormond Beach Observer
News

A major drug trafficking ring that law enforcement reports is responsible for dealing fentanyl, heroin, meth and cocaine in Volusia County has been dismantled in a series of raids and arrests.

The Volusia Sheriff's Office reported on its Facebook page that the ringleaders and most of the 38 defendants identified in the eight-month investigation were arrested on Thursday, with the remaining to be arrested in the days to come.

“It takes a team effort to bring down a drug trafficking organization like this, and that’s exactly what we did in this investigation,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said of the operation, which involved about a dozen local, state and federal agencies. “Today we put a bunch of drug dealers in jail and made a major dent in the fentanyl, heroin and meth supply in our community. But we know our work is never done, and we have to pick it right back up tomorrow.”

The trafficking ring was led by Toure Wilder, Bobby Wilder, Khyree Isaac and Allen Messer, according to VSO, which reports the group distributed illegal narcotics to dealers in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Deltona and Pomona Park in Putnam County.

The investigation was led by the Volusia Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force, and evidence seized included more than a kilogram of fentanyl, over 19 pounds of meth, 69 grams of cocaine, and various pieces of equipment used to manufacture and package drugs for sale. During one of the raids in Daytona Beach, VSO reported, 75 grams of fentanyl were found in a baby diaper.

Partners in the investigation included the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas; the Deland, Edgewater, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, and Port Orange police departments; VSO’s Overdose Task Force, Deltona Narcotics Enforcement Team, West Volusia Narcotics Task Force, and SWAT teams from VSO and FDLE.

“The message has to be clear,” Chitwood said. “If you’re going to peddle that poison in this community, we are coming to get you. Be prepared for what’s next.”