Sheriff Grady Judd dons $50K in ‘drip’ seized during illegal drug trafficking bust that nabbed 32

Grady Judd: 32 nabbed in drug trafficking bust

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on a drug trafficking bust that led to the arrests of 32 people.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - On Friday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd wore a thick gold chain around his neck, a matching bracelet and waved around a gun during a press conference to make a point about the dangers of drug trafficking.

The gold ‘drip’ as the sheriff called it was a result of ‘Operation Capital City Crackdown’, a year-long drug trafficking investigation that led to the arrest of 32 suspects, including one who was in the country illegally.

"I got their drip. I got their money. We got their guns. We got their dope," the sheriff explained.

The backstory:

According to Judd, the 32 suspects have been dealing drugs in Bartow for years and they have been to prison in the past.

"These people will never stop selling dope if they’re not locked up and people die," Judd explained.

Nathaniel Donald is the kingpin of Bartow, according to Judd.

"Of the drug sales that occur, he is the tip of the spear or the head of the snake. He’s not a pharmacist, but those under his command will make sure that you have marijuana, fentanyl, crack cocaine, MDMA, all kinds of pills to include oxycodone, hydrocodone, ketamine."

By the numbers:

Judd said a total of eight search warrants were served countywide, along with an additional search warrant in Orange County.

Thousands of grams of various illegal drugs were seized with a total street value of $150,000.

Arrests included suspects already on probation or pre-trial release, and several firearms were recovered from convicted felons. The combined total of the suspects’ criminal histories add up to 554 previous felonies and 394 misdemeanors, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

What they're saying:

"Where you see $50,000 in drip, where you see that not-so-dangerous drug of cannabis, you see guns and you see first-degree murder from overdose. I am over it. I am over it when people tell you that drugs are low-level and non-violent."

"I just want to thank them for this and helping to clean up our city," said Chief Stephen Walker of Bartow PD. "We know we have problems and we do what we can and sometimes they're outside of our scope to take care of so we rely on that assistance."

"Through our partnership you see here today, drug traffickers don't have a safe haven," said Brannon Sheely with FDLE. "They don't know juristictional boundaries, but you can see we have these boundaries covered so we're going to hold people accountable." 

'Operation Capital City Crack Down' nets 32 arrests

On Friday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd wore a thick gold chain around his neck, a matching bracelet and waved around a gun during a press conference to make a point about the dangers of drug trafficking. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

Troy Walker was among those who were arrested.

Judd said he sold the drugs to a 65-year-old woman on a Saturday night last September.

Mugshot of Troy Cortez Walker. Courtesy: Polk County Jail.

"On Sunday morning, she was walking out of her house to church when she collapsed, so she died, so Nate could have this drip," Judd said. "Did you hear what I said? He’s buying this drip from selling drugs to people on the streets, one of which died."

Last week, with Walker still in jail, a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge.