STOP, RAID YIELDS 5 ARRESTS, DRUGS WORTH $500,000

TAMPA - Officials bust what is considered a major drug ring based in
Clair-Mel City area.

A traffic stop in Brandon on Friday morning led to a drug bust valued at
more than $500,000 and the arrest of five people - three from Hillsborough
County and two from Broward County - the Hillsborough County Sheriff's
Office said.

About 2:20 a.m., Deputy Jason Himmel pulled over a 1991 Nissan pickup truck
at Bloomingdale Avenue and John Moore Road. The driver, 31-year- old Juel
Dunn of Miramar, got out of the truck.

When Himmel prepared to detain him, Dunn began to fight, according to
sheriff's reports. Dunn's passenger, 31-year-old Denzil Grant of
Lauderhill, ran from the truck carrying a box filled with 7.5 pounds of
crack cocaine, deputies reported.

Himmel and Deputy Travis Schintzius were able to arrest Dunn. Meanwhile,
off-duty Deputy Cheryl Harrell pursued and arrested Grant, who had thrown
away the box, deputies said.

After the arrests, the sheriff's office and special agents from the Drug
Enforcement Administration began to connect the two Broward County men to
the local drug scene.

About two hours after the traffic stop, officers and agents knocked on
doors in Clair-Mel, Bloomingdale and at an undisclosed location. There,
they arrested three more people and confiscated 5 pounds of powdered
cocaine, a pound of marijuana, five handguns and $18,000 in cash, said
sheriff's Maj. Rocky Rodriguez. Officials also seized a Mercedes-Benz and a
BMW sedan.

The three additional suspects are: 34-year-old Joycelyn Gordan of Clair-
Mel City, 36-year-old Keith North of Brandon, and 29-year-old Florence Reid
of Tampa.

``It's a very significant amount,'' said Bill Campbell, a DEA group
supervisor in Tampa. ``You don't get kilos of crack seized. Right there,
you know you're at a major distribution level.''

Sheriff's Lt. Paul Davis said they surprised the three suspects who were at
home. At one location, crack cocaine was being cooked on a stove when
officers entered, Davis said.

``It sends a strong message to us that the crack cocaine trade is going
strong,'' Davis said. ``We have nothing to indicate that it's any worse
there [in eastern Hillsborough County] than in any other area. These people
just happen to be staying there.''

All five were charged with conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and trafficking
in cocaine. Dunn was also charged with battery on a police officer and
resisting arrest with violence, and Grant was charged with resisting arrest
without violence.