Manatee drug sting nets 33 arrests

Date: November 2, 2009
by: The Observer Staff

Manatee County Sheriff's Office officials said they expect more arrests to come.

A three-month undercover drug operation has yielded 33 arrests in Manatee County, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office reported this morning.

During the months of August, September and October, detectives from the Special Investigations Division Tactical Unit conducted multiple undercover drug purchases from individuals throughout Manatee. As a result of these operations, 125 arrest warrants were generated from 53 different suspects.

Starting Oct. 30, the Special Investigations Division began a round up operation focusing on the physical arrest of these narcotics dealers. With assistance from C.O.P.S., Warrants, Gang, and C.I.D., detectives have arrested 33 individuals on a total of 74 charges.

Listed below is the name of each individual arrested and their respective charges. In addition to the listed charges, detectives seized an additional 140 grams of cocaine, 37 prescription pills, and $1836.00 in U.S. currency.

The investigation continues with more arrests forthcoming.

SUSPECT CHARGE

1. Dustin Eckersen Sale of a controlled substance; sale of marijuana

2. Omar Edwards Sale of rock cocaine

3. Lavoral Hamilton Trafficking in illegal drugs

4. Jerrlyn Kayser Prescription fraud; uttering a forged instrument

5. Keyvis McCullough Sale of marijuana

6. Robbie Waiters Sale of rock cocaine

7. Donta Anderson Sale of rock cocaine

8. Aaron Dunbar Sale of cocaine

9. Juvenile Possessionoss. of a controlled substance

10. Juvenile Possessionoss. of a controlled substance

11. Marquinn Gibson Sale of cocaine

12. Michael Gilbert Sale of rock cocaine

13. Antonia Harvey Sale of cocaine