Volusia County, FL – A major east Volusia drug trafficking organization was taken down during a joint operation involving the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO), Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), and Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) on Friday.
For the past few months, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation (VBI) and the DBPD Special Investigations Unit have been investigating the drug ring known as “The Money Team.” The organization has been known to sell heroin containing the potentially lethal opioid fentanyl.
"The opioid epidemic is a national crisis that is killing people in our community," said Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri. "It is going to take cooperation with law enforcement, as seen here today, and private sector partnerships working together to solve this problem."
On Friday, “Operation Tax Time” was initiated by the VBI. It targeted the organization’s ringleader, associates and street-level dealers and resulted in 19 arrest warrants and 8 search warrants for locations throughout Daytona Beach, Holly Hill, and Palm Coast. As of Friday afternoon, 10 individuals were arrested and were placed in custody and 575 grams of heroin, 2 ounces of cocaine and three guns were found.
"They are destroying families. They are destroying lives," said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. "How many parents in this community are grieving the loss of a loved one because what that little scumbag (drug dealer) was doing?"
Law enforcement believes The Money Team spent anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 once per month on heroin to sell in Volusia County. The organization is believed to have also sold cocaine and prescription drugs.
"VCSO and FCSO, along with other local agencies, are teaming up to get drug dealers out of our counties," said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. "We will not sit back and watch this epidemic continue. We’re coming after you."
In January of this year, DBPD detectives made a controlled purchase of $60 of heroin from the ringleader, Julian Parker Miller, 31. That heroin tested positive for fentanyl. A judge allowed law enforcement to tap the organization’s phones to see their calls and texts about drug deals. VBI surveilled several locations and saw the deals occur.
The following members were arrested on Friday:
Julian Miller, 31 of Palm Coast/Daytona Beach
(Miller mugshot courtesy of Volusia County Corrections)
Mark Johnson Jr., 31 of Holly Hill/Daytona Beach
