Pembroke Pines man supplied huge drugs ring, cops say
PEMBROKE PINES — A Pembroke Pines man arrested during a traffic stop is suspected of being the supplier to a drugs ring that sold cocaine and heroin in Volusia County, authorities announced Thursday.
Inside Kenneth Rowell’s car, investigators found more than an ounce of cocaine and nearly five and a half pounds of marijuana, according to Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation records.
Rowell, 44, was booked into a Miami-Dade jail at 8:11 p.m. Thursday on drug possession and trafficking charges, records show.
All totaled, eight people were arrested Thursday in connection to the drugtrafficking operation, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said. Rowell was the only South Floridian among them.
“These arrests should serve as a strong warning to anyone trying to sell poison to Floridians — that we will catch and you will pay for your crimes,” she said.
The ring leader, Moody said, was Marcel Green, 31, of Daytona Beach.
“It is believed that the [trafficking operation’s] members were supplied with multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine by a source from South Florida,” Moody’s office said.
Rowell was arrested in Miami-Dade County by the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.
Aside from the drugs found in Rowell’s car, investigators during Thursday’s arrests also confiscated 37 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 16 grams of cocaine, 20 guns, $300,000 in cash and three cars, according to the attorney general’s office.
Twenty-one arrest warrants and nine search warrants have been issued and more arrests are expected, Moody said.
“These clowns are out there murdering people with the poison they’re dealing,” Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood said. “It’s imperative that the community continue to funnel information to us. It’s imperative, because we’re only as good as the information you give us.”
The others arrested were: Jessica Gorman, 26, of Deltona, Robert Hamilton Jr., 34, of Ormond Beach, Karlee Harbst, 27, of Port Orange, John Organ, 33, of Palm Coast, along with Daytona Beach residents Lee Wiley II, 42, Michael Jolly, 45, and Mavis Williams, 41.
“It’s also believed the organization is connected to multiple overdose deaths that remain under active investigation,” Moody’s office said. A Hollywood man kept 25 cats and four dogs in cages in the back of U-Haul, police The animals were rescued after someone noticed the trailer and contacted police. Cops: Hollywood man kept 29 animals caged in the back of a U-Haul truck woman for the Hollywood lot, then returned to Police Department. “Luckily Hollywood on Friday. someone noticed something Flores used to live in the was off by spotting 2900 block of Johnson this U-Haul and called police. Street but kept the U-Haul If they weren’t rescued, truck in the 6200 block of who knows if they’d Tyler Street, police said. still be alive.” Flores drove up to the
Two cats escaped during U-Haul on Saturday evening their rescue. All four dogs while police and animal and 23 cats and control officers were kittens were taken tending to the pets. to the Broward He told police he did not County pet shelter. own the animals but was
The Hollywood bringing them food and Police Department water. is in the The police report made process of obtaining no mention of why Flores a court order to had more than two dozen transfer custody of cats and dogs. the animals so “I’m not sure why he they can be put up had so many animals,” for adoption, Grossman Grossman said. “He said he said. wanted to rescue them. But
Lisa Mendheim, a that’s not the way to rescue spokeswoman for Broward them, to keep them in a Animal Care and Adoption, blazing hot truck.” could not be reached It was unclear whether from comment despite the animals had been confined three calls to her cell in the back of the UHaul phone and office. truck since the end of
Flores told officers he March, police said. rented a U-Haul truck after being evicted on March 31.
He claimed he took the cats to Fort Pierce and kept them in their cages in an
Four dogs and 25 cats and kittens were confined to smelly cages in the back of a U-Haul truck in Hollywood with no access to food or water, police say.
The animals were rescued by police and animal control officers on Saturday, a sweltering day when temperatures approached 90 degrees.
Marlon Antonio Flores, 47, told police he was trying to rescue the animals.
He was arrested Saturday on 87 charges, including animal cruelty and unlawful confinement. On Monday, he remained in Broward’s Main Jail with bond set at $32,625.
Police found many of the animals covered in urine and feces. Two dogs were in one cage so small, they could not turn around.
“It’s a disturbing case of animal abuse,” said Miranda Grossman, a spokesempty Cash 4 Life: 1-36-45-53-56-1