23 BITTEN IN REVERSE STING OPERATION

Police And Deputies Pose As Drug Dealers In South Brooksville In
Order To Catch Those Looking For Illegal Substances

BROOKSVILLE -- Twenty-three people, including a taxi driver who
allegedly brought a customer to south Brooksville to buy drugs, were
arrested Friday night and Saturday morning in a reverse sting.

The action took place as part of the Hernando County Drug Task Force,
which is a partnership between the Hernando Sheriff's Office and the
Brooksville Police Department.

The reverse sting targeted Twigg Street.

An undercover agent stood on the street, posing as a drug dealer. One
after another, customers pulled up and tried to buy drugs.

Of the 23, two were arrested for warning off potential buyers by
"telling people that those were cops," said sheriff's spokeswoman
Deputy Donna L. Black.

Those arrested came from all over. They included seven from
Brooksville, four from Spring Hill, three from Homosassa and others
from Weeki Wachee, Floral City, New Port Richey, Hudson and the state
of Arkansas.

The drug task force ran a large sting in October, which netted 19
people, and has promised to run similar ones over the course of the
year.

The arrests include charges of possession of crack, solicitation to
purchase crack, providing false information to an officer and
resisting an officer without violence.

Here are the names of those arrested:

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