Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly this afternoon announced the conclusion of an 11-month investigation that netted the arrest of 12 residents of Palm Coast and Bunnell on a variety of drug-related sale and trafficking charges. To a man–and one woman–every suspect has a history of arrests, some of them long histories.
The Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit’s 20 undercover operations stretched from January to early November, From January 3 to November 7, with controlled purchases of 16.1 kilograms of illegal narcotics, including 164 grams of cocaine, 261 grams of methamphetamine, 109 grams of fentanyl, and 14 kilograms of marijuana. Controlled buys are usually conducted either by undercover deputies or by informants under their supervision. Deputies also seized seven firearms and $16,705 in cash.
“Interesting of note during the same time frame,” Staly said, “the Sheriff’s Office responded to 41 calls for service related to overdoses. That gives you an indication on why we do these undercover operations and why it’s critical that we continue to do that.”
For example 32-year-old Spencer Sarmento has been at the jail since Oct. 3 after the Special Investigations Unit served a search warrant at his residence on Canal Avenue in the Mondex, or Daytona North, where deputies found methamphetamine, 28 grams of marijuana, a loaded AR-15 (the assault rifle), and various rounds of ammunition.
Deputies believed he was a convicted felon at the time, so Sarmento would have been breaking the law by possessing weaponry. But the State Attorney’s Office dropped both weapons-related charges. He faced two third-degree felony charges of possession of over 20 grams of pot and possession of a controlled substance. But weeks earlier he had also sold a confidential sheriff’s source 4 grams of fentanyl (a very substantial amount of the extremely powerful and often lethal drug). The trafficking charge is a first-degree felony. (The sheriff’s release lists him as having sold heroin, which is not part of his court record.)
“The amount that I mentioned doesn’t sound like a lot,” Staly said, “but a pinhead size of the wrong dose of fentanyl or fentanyl laced narcotics, because that’s what they’re doing now can kill you, and the addict is just trying to feed their habit, which is why they need to seek help.”
But most of the suspects were swept in an operation that started early today. “Normally we can’t find them all, and we’re usually searching for three or four,” Staly said, “but they did a great job apprehending them. In fact, I personally witnessed one across the street from a restaurant today, when our PACE unit swepped in and arrested probably the last suspect we were looking for.” PACE is the Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit. Arrests were conducted with the assistance of the agency’s SWAT unit.
“We will continue to do undercover operations throughout 2025 so don’t think that we’re stopping just because we did a roundup today,” Staly said, addressing dealers. “And I want to remind you, if you kill someone selling your poison, we will investigate you for murder and send you to prison for a very long time. We just had a conviction just a couple weeks ago that resulted in a life sentence in a state correctional facility.” He was referring to the trial conviction of Brian Pirraglia, the first Flagler County resident to be sentenced to life in prison after he contested his charge of first-degree murder in the death of his friend, Brian O’Shea, whom prosecutors said Pirraglia injected with a fatal dose of fentanyl. Pirraglia was a user rather than a dealer.
“If you’re a drug user, I ask you to seek help,” Staly said. “We know that you have an addiction problem, so seek help before you buy that fatal dose, and then we have to investigate your death as a homicide.” He said the country is not about to win the “war on drugs,” which he said the country has been fighting for decades, but “having a wide open border, I’ve seen a huge increase, and hopefully that’s going to start changing on January 20 next year, and stem the flow of the poisons coming in this country.” He thanked the State Attorney’s Office and the detectives and deputies who conducted the operations.
Those arrested during Operation Silent Night include, according to a release (with Sarmento’s exception, the information has not been independently verified as most of the individuals’ court records are not yet available):
- Luis Gil, 56, Palm Coast: Trafficking in Cocaine, Sale of Cocaine
- Robert Cone, 50, Bunnell: Sale of Methamphetamine
- John Harris, 35, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
- Devarus Bethea, 37, Palm Coast: Trafficking in Fentanyl, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
- James Forbes, 55, Bunnell: Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
- Michael Allison, 37, Palm Coast: Sale of a Fentanyl, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
- Winston Rawlings, 34, Palm Coast: Sale of Fentanyl, Sale of Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
- Jerry Spates, 69, Bunnell: Two counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Specified Area
- Samuel Johnson Jr., 63, Bunnell: Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park
- Lizzette Johnson, 50, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park
- Spencer Sarmento, 32, Bunnell: Sale of Fentanyl
- Jarvis Warren, 47, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine
Florida Girl says
“The amount that I mentioned doesn’t sound like a lot,” Staly said…” No, it may not seem like a lot. But to the parent with the child in the grave due to a drug related injury, it’s a triumph. It means less people die today with death coming in many forms. That small amount has potentially saved how many suffering addicts from sure death. so, how about the parent of the addict still with us who risk death multiple times a day…? Its huge to them because their child still has a change to get clean. Honestly, I don’t care how many try to downplay it or coitize the works of FCSO. There are those out here who will celebrate it AND have prayed for it to end as it has in their lives. AND it’s certainly a win win for our community too. For the love of all things whoever is reading this, take the time to go to the FCSO inmate search on the web, and key in today’s date – most have a lengthy relationship with law enforcement. Its alarming some are even out! Granted they, up there in the article are corner store drug dealers. It would be nice to see some heavy hitters get caught and stay caught. It is however these street sales folk our children are out there in this world up against. I do believe we need more of these operations. We aren’t going to depopulate. We are only growing making it easier to hide.
Ricochet Rabbit says
Arrest a bunch of mostly black drug addicts! Go on with yuh bad self Staly. LOL! Same playbook in order to cottle your constituents but you get no points for this. He can’t go out and get the real drug dealers in town because we’d all be asking how have they’ve been allowed to set up shop here and prosper. So you go out and grab the same dusty, end of the year, usual suspects. You’re telling me you can find one drug that lives in an affluent part of town???
Skibum says
Gee, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say maybe you overlooked the specific criminal charges those who were arrested are facing. Not a singe one of them is identified as a drug user or addict, as you somehow are Carnac the Magnificent and know from God knows what that these drug peddlers are just innocent victims who happened to magically get caught up in something that was not of their own making??? Wake up! Each and every one of them has been charged with at least one or more felonies for the SALE and/or TRAFFICING (distribution for profit) of illegal drugs. These drug peddlers are NOT to be pitied or held up as examples of the best in our communities! So once more, for YOUR edification, here are the specific criminal charges each has been arrested for:
Luis Gil, 56, Palm Coast: Trafficking in Cocaine, Sale of Cocaine
Robert Cone, 50, Bunnell: Sale of Methamphetamine
John Harris, 35, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
Devarus Bethea, 37, Palm Coast: Trafficking in Fentanyl, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
James Forbes, 55, Bunnell: Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
Michael Allison, 37, Palm Coast: Sale of a Fentanyl, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
Winston Rawlings, 34, Palm Coast: Sale of Fentanyl, Sale of Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
Jerry Spates, 69, Bunnell: Two counts of Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Specified Area
Samuel Johnson Jr., 63, Bunnell: Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park
Lizzette Johnson, 50, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Park
Spencer Sarmento, 32, Bunnell: Sale of Fentanyl
Jarvis Warren, 47, Palm Coast: Sale of Cocaine
Now, if you still seek to excuse or defend what these drug peddlers have been doing here in Flagler County, maybe you should step up, put your money where your mouth is, and go down to the Green Roof Inn and bail every one of them out so they can go back to their dens of iniquity before Christmas, back to their stashes and hidden AR-15s and other guns, so they can make some more $$$ from the sale and trafficking of illegal drugs because you may believe what they are really doing is just trying to make a living, or maybe they want to be Santa Claus and bring joy to other family members of their “cribs” by buying cars and flashy jewelry to put under their Christmas trees. For me and most other SANE residents of this county… I think these drug traffickers are right where they belong, locked up behind bars and awaiting an even longer stint in state prison!!!!!!!!!!! Merry Christmas.
Ricochet Rabbit says
I’ve lived in Flagler County for well over 30 years and have watched Sheriff after Sherriff pull this same stunt at the end of the year. I’ve witnessed more than one of those individuals listed/arrested go from being a functioning law abiding citizen to what we see now. Appearance wise, Lizzette Johnson was one of the most beautiful young women in the North East. Drug addiction will make people look, act and do things they normally wouldn’t.
I’ll tell you what, go pop into some of these addiction groups spread all out through the county. You’ll be surprised at the professions and backgrounds of addicted we have here and the things they sometimes do to get a fix whether they’re caught or not. Some haven’t hit rock bottom, some are climbing out from it. People like you are the problem, when you think your a hammer everything is a nail. “Mr. Hold up the law” Jan 6th is probably your new holiday. Go bail them out.
Skibum says
Addiction is one thing… that is a sickness that needs intervention in the way of treatment, IF the addict is willing to do what is needed to overcome their drug addiction. Although I was in law enforcement for a long time, I never supported the type of severe sentences for those who were arrested and charged specifically for drug possession/use. Whether or not a seller of illegal drugs is a drug user themself, criminal penalties need to be severe for those who prey on others for profit off of drugs, because they are not putting themself in danger, they are putting OTHERS, people they normally don’t even know, in serious danger of overdose and death by peddling illegal substances that they themselves do not know if what they are peddling have lethal amounts of fentanyl or other deadly, toxic ingredients mixed in that are common with the illicit drug manufacturing and distribution from mainly cartels in foreign countries. I will never be swayed by arguments such as yours that giving illegal drugs to someone else should be a minor offense, sorry.
Laurel says
I’m with you Skibum. There is no sympathy for anyone who sells fentanyl.
Ricochet Rabbit says
Not once did I say someone shouldn’t be punished. Unfortunately, your time in law enforcement has either jaded or desensitized you. This subject is deeper than those arrested in this article. Your own government admits that drugs, prisons, crime, illegal immigration, and welfare are all ways that political platforms and revenue are created for this country. Just a bigger version of you writing ticket quotas.
You’ve said it yourself about the Sheriff grandstanding. So, now you don’t believe the way the system is run has the capabilities of doing the same for political, prestige, hate or financial gain??? Staley had to learn from somebody. My question still hasn’t been answered. Explain to me why they’re haven’t been any drug bust or drug dealers busted from the affluent part of Flagler County? And don’t tell me rich white people don’t deal drugs or guns…
R.S. says
If sellers are to be blamed for overdoses on the part of buyers, should we not then also punish sellers of tainted products, such as chicken infected with salmonella or hamburger meat with bacterial content or pork with trichinosis bacteria? Every time some product has been recalled because it had victims, I have never heard anyone’s trying to inflict punishment on corporate heads. Or how about the victims of the rolling lighter: the Nova automobile. Some folks lost their lives; I never heard of any engineer or corporate head losing their livelihood over it. Or Warren Anderson of Bhopal, India, who was protected by the US of A from the authorities in India after his negligence killed 20,000 plus, until he died a peaceful death of old age.
Laurel says
Good points all ’round!
David S. says
Skibum its interesting that I observed some cops and a few who were my friends keep drugs for themselves after arresting those clowns. This was in the 80’s can you imagine what it is like now think about it.
Skibum says
Well, David, your experience, if true, is your personal experience and I really don’t know what to say about your comment other than to relate to you my personal experience from my few decades in law enforcement. In those many years of my entire career, I never, never, never saw any of the thousands of fellow LEOs who I came into contact with take illegal drugs from a suspect to use themselves, as you allegedly “saw”. Never once. Not saying you are wrong, because, like any profession, those in law enforcement are human and culled from society and humans are prone to being boneheads and making mistakes. Of course there have been bad apples in law enforcement just like all other occupations, but with all of the screening and background investigation and other parts of the hiring process that goes into someone actually passing muster for a LEO job, then the months of academy training they must pass, then the on-the-job probationary time afterward where they must satisfy a training officer that they have the skills and temperament required for a LEO, after all of that what you end up with is someone who is so much more responsible, dedicated and ethical than your average person on the street, so incidents as you described are a very, very small percentage of the many thousands and thousands of very fine officers out there who go out of their way each and every day not only to protect you and everyone else from the criminal element, but also, in the face of danger, in the possibility of losing their own lives, they STILL run toward that danger, taking that risk as a very necessary aspect of upholding their oaths of office they took when that badge was pinned on their uniform shirt. To denegrate an entire profession of extremely competent and professional law enforcement officers across our nation by giving one personal example of “a few” as you stated apparent bad apples is ridiculous and seriously absent of reality, in my opinion. But you do you. And maybe next time YOU are in danger from some crime or criminal element so prevalent in today’s society, instead of calling 911 and wanting one of the officers that you apparently like to besmirch their character, try figuring out who else you want to come and help you instead.
Marty Barrett says
Yeah, ok Staly, you’re right, everything will be just fine on January 20th. And don’t forget to get bed early on Tuesday night so Santa doesn’t skip your house
BrentJ says
Strange how the story doesn’t mention anything about 12 “illegals” bringing fentanyl in and destroying this country. It’s almost like the drug problem in this country has little, if anything, to do with immigrants.
Denali says
You have it backwards. The drugs would not be crossing the border if there was no demand for them. Get addicted Americans to dry out and you will see the drug traffic disappear. No demand, no need for a supply.
Skibum says
Exactly… it is a sad truth that American citizens’ appetites and thirst for more and more drugs of all types is what is keeping the drug cartels in Mexico and other foreign countries in business… a simple supply and demand equation. If it were easy to eradicate illegal drugs from society, it would have been done decades ago when Ronald Reagan’s wife Nancy started her infamous and hilarious “Just Say No!” campaign… wow, that really made a difference, huh? NOT!
Laurel says
So, the 12 people arrested were illegal immigrants? Their names didn’t sound like it.
Bobby says
The FCSO needs to do more of this regularly. When you pull up arrest records it seems like so many arrests are possession of fentanyl it is unreal how many there are and then the second most arrests are domestic violence.
Flagler County sure is starting to appear to be not a safe place to live anymore.
Mel says
I was told Palm Coast was paradise when I moved here! This is as bad as New Jersey!
John says
So illegal immigrants weren’t responsible. American citizens were. Can we deport them somewhere for their criminality? No? Hmm.
Take a good look says
Kudos to the Flagler County Unit for continuing to do a phenomenal job in taking these addicts/dealers off the streets in their effort to make our community safe!
R.S. says
I wonder what their other job options had been and how many lives might not have been ruined–victims and victimizer–if marijuana had been legalized and sold under controlled circumstances. And what are those illegal two-way communication devices? This is not a very clear account of what has been happening here.
Skibum says
As a retired, career law enforcement officer, I’ve never been a fan of Sheriff Staly’s almost weekly public political press conference displays that seem to be more orchestrated to keeping his name and face in the public eye than actually discussing immediate and serious public safety threats to our communities. Frankly, although I applaud the ongoing efforts of all of the men and women in our local sheriff’s office for the great work they do each and every day to protect our communities and help week out the criminal elements who are lurking around, my nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience has shown me that the RESULTS of law enforcement’s efforts to include a downward trend in crime statistics speak for themselves, and certainly speak louder than the way too often seen videos of our sheriff publicly announcing the latest arrest or making sometimes snarky comments in interviews with journalists after even minor arrests. Too much on-camera exposure and/or comments, to me at least, seem more oriented toward free political campaigning for the next election. I would ask him WHY aren’t the results of his agency’s deputies sufficient enough for the residents and business owners to hear occasionally? Sure, he has a political job being the head of his agency, but too much publicity, even for very minor offenses, seems overdone and standing in front of the cameras for all of the wrong reasons instead of merely informing citizens of what is going on with crime enforcement and public safety efforts in Flagler County. Maybe others disagree, and that is OK, but I would advise him to tone it down.
Laurel says
And, we do not need a large Sheriff’s station, on the ICW, here in the Hammock, where there is less crime than Palm Coast, the department already owns cleared land, and the county boat launch is right down the street.
Save our oaks!
Justin says
Palm Coast has a very high volume of illegals running around the neighborhoods and in town. Beware be cautious all the time.
Laurel says
It doesn’t get much whiter than here.
Local says
Why does this headline say 12 Bunnell residents when most are from Palm coast?
FlaglerLive says
The headline says 12 Palm Coast and Bunnell residents. Five of the 12 are from Bunnell.
Skibum says
A “very high volume” of illegals running around Palm Coast, huh??? And you know this how? Oh, let me guess… anyone with darker skin, black hair and appears to be of Hispanic descent obviously must be an illegal. Yeah I get it, Billy Joe Bob. You country boys are so good at identifying those here in the U.S. that are illegal simply by their appearance to you, that we should just abolish the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and instead depend on you and all the other Billy Joe Bobs out there who have this wonderful, internal gift from God to instantly assess and weed out those in society that don’t fit your perceived view of what an American citizen should look like. Not to mention approved students from other countries, tourists, etc. What an extraordinary “gift” you seem to possess!
Endless dark money says
Who cares people gotta survive. Costs are way more than what average people make . Assistance programs have been gutted by the gop. Not like unemployment is a better option lol. Looks like the class war should start soon with the billionaires now holding all positions of power.
Paul says
Speaking of the mondex Daytona North as you put it in disrespect why don’t we find out where that special tax money went for the last 40 years you think the Sheriff’s Department would be interested in investigating where all the money went because there’s no roads paved out here for the last 30 years there’s no sidewalks there’s no guard rails there’s no shoulders there is no nothing where is the money where is the money ask Andy dance and the rest of them bombs
palmcoaster says
Good question for the Flagler county administrators and the new two ladies elected commissioners along LeAnne. Be the brave majority and start digging your questions as many in the Mondex were I have friends and are asking the same question, which answer is pretty well known probably by the Good Old Boy Club Flagler Commissioners.
Susan says
It’s interesting how they rigged it with a court order saying the county is not responsible for the roads yet the county took the money to fix the roads I mean that’s obviously my God how bogus do you want it I mean that’s like psychopathy right in your face rub your nose right in it we’re not allowed to help you what we’re going to take money anyway now if the sheriff can’t figure it out come on