Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of the 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1 on New Year's Day or shortly thereafter. Then Headline Surfer will post a Top 10 forecast story of the good, the bad & the ugly on the horizon in "2022: The Year That Lies Ahead."
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A proactive effort by federal and local law enforcement to curb illegal drug and gun sales in the Daytona Beach area wrapped up in late January with 60-plus individuals facing felony charges.
“Operation Pay Dirt” – a joint initiative between the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) – culminated Jan. 22, with officials from both organizations taking many of those people into custody on open warrants, mostly for selling and delivering illegal drugs and guns to undercover officers.
Efforts to capture the others who are wanted are ongoing. Operation Pay Dirt began in the summer of 2020 but was ramped up in November 2020, as a response to a sudden increase of violent crime in Daytona Beach, including various shootings which led to four murders.
As investigators worked the cases, it was clear that there were connections with known armed narcotics traffickers, according to Daytona's top cop.
“Many of the people we’re putting handcuffs on have extensive criminal histories,” Police Chief Jakari Young said. “They aren’t tied to a specific organization but they were an ongoing threat to our community. We had to get them behind bars before anyone else got hurt or killed.”
As investigators worked the cases, it was clear that there were connections with known armed narcotics traffickers, according to Daytona's top cop.
“Many of the people we’re putting handcuffs on have extensive criminal histories,” Police Chief Jakari Young (shown at the podium) said. “They aren’t tied to a specific organization but they were an ongoing threat to our community. We had to get them behind bars before anyone else got hurt or killed.”
ATF and DBPD officials opted for a proactive approach, sending undercover officers into areas where they could purchase illegal drugs or guns from many of those who are now being charged in Operation Pay Dirt.
“Our long-standing partnership with DBPD has been instrumental in addressing this spike in violent crime,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier said. “DBPD’s efforts in confronting firearms-related crime have been commendable.”
Among the types of drugs recovered include crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, MDMA, methamphetamine, and oxycontin. The amounts recovered led to armed drug trafficking charges for some of the defendants.
More than 35 guns were also recovered by law enforcement during this effort.
Six of the 60-plus individuals implicated were charged federally:
• Paris Aviles, 28, Daytona Beach;
• Elton Jones, 48, Daytona Beach;
• Lascelles Francis, 29, Daytona Beach;
Diven McClure, 56, Daytona Beach.
All four were charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the crimes in federal court, they would receive mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years up to life in prison.
• Marcus Rubin, 40, Daytona Beach, charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a controlled substance, each carrying 20 years in federal prison, if he's convicted of the alleged crimes.
Leven Reynaldo Render, Jr., 26, Daytona Beach, charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life in federal prison.
Headline Surfer Multimedia
DBPD video / Daytona Beach Police hold a press conference on Jan. 22 in Daytona to provide details on Operation Pay Dirt.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.