ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Authorities in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County gathered Thursday morning to detail the results of what they say is one of the largest drug busts seen in the city's history.
According to Chief Anthony Holloway, more than 10 kilos of fentanyl and various amounts of other drugs were seized after a months-long investigation into local distributors.
The investigation, dubbed "Operation Cookie Dough" because of how fentanyl can sometimes resemble the dessert, ended with two men arrested and an arrest warrant for a third man. Holloway said one man, David Watson, was at the head of a "major drug distribution" organization that operated out of St. Petersburg.
Watson is not a "street-level drug dealer," but rather is a "high-level distributor" of fentanyl "responsible for trafficking a large amount of fentanyl and other drugs through the community, the police chief said.
On Aug. 7, police reportedly went to several addresses in St. Pete with search warrants, which included an apartment on 112th Avenue North, which Google Maps identified as West Port Colony, and a house on 29th Street North near 32nd Avenue North.
During those warranted searches, officers said they found the following drugs, money and firearms:
- 10.7 kilos of fentanyl; police said 1 oz. is about $900
- 10.6 kilos of powder cocaine
- 10.2 oz, amounting to several hundred pills, of oxycodone
- 11 pounds of marijuana
- $506,150 in cash
- 3 handguns and ammunition
"This is not just another drug arrest. With the assistance of the FDLE and the State Attorney's Office, we were able to dismantle this drug operation and have a huge impact on the health and safety of our residents," Holloway said.
David Watson was arrested on the following charges:
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Trafficking in cocaine
- Trafficking in fentanyl
- Money Laundering
- Structuring transactions to evade reporting
Kelvin Maysonet was arrested on the following charges:
- Operating a drug house
- Trafficking in cocaine
- Trafficking in fentanyl
- Trafficking in oxycodone
- Trafficking in amphetamines
- Possession of marijuana with intent to sell
Alexander Graham is wanted for the following charges:
- Trafficking in cocaine
- Trafficking in fentanyl
- Trafficking in oxycodone
- Trafficking in methamphetamine
- Possession of marijuana with intent to sell
Holloway said this large drug bust comes just three weeks after another major fentanyl bust was announced as a joint operation between police, FDLE and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.