Gilbert Bridewell is a 70-year-old resident of 7 Blackberry Place in Palm Coast. He is married to 61-year-old Sheila Bridewell. They have two sons, Brad Turner, 32, and Tyler Bridewell, 21. The family was all in jail Friday on charges of trafficking Oxycodone, the popular prescription pain-killer, possessing a controlled substance, selling a counterfeit controlled substance, fraud, burglary and selling crack cocaine. Their bonds range from $2,500 to $50,000.
The Bridewells’ arrests were part of a vast drug sweep Friday morning by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The sweep targeted 32 individuals involved in one form of drug infraction or another. The sweep netted 19 arrests, all but one in Palm Coast. The other was in Flagler Beach. Warrants are still out for the remaining suspects. In a brief news conference in front of the county jail this afternoon, Sheriff Jim Manfre called the sweep Operation Jingle Cells.
Previous drug busts involving that many people have been the subject of news conferences involving drug task forces from St. Johns and Putnam Counties, agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the State Attorney and, at times, FBI agents. In this case, the operation was entirely the Flagler Sheriff’s Office’s. Manfre flanked by Undersheriff Rick Staly and Senior Commander Steve Cole, who heads the investigative division. A quintet of narcotics detectives standing some 15 feet behind the scrum of reporters–and the cameras, so as not to be photographed: they’re the detectives who conduct some of the undercover drug buys that lead to arrests.
Cole guessed that the street value of the pills seized was between $30,000 and $35,000. But he did not disclose the number of pills seized, saying the focus was less on amounts than on actual dealers, who were caught selling as little as from one to five pills.
Some of the arrests were the result of people obtaining pills legally, by filling a prescription and then selling the pills illegally. Whether that implicates the doctors prescribing the pills in the first place is not yet determined: the sheriff said several doctors’ names appear as part of the stream of prescription-writing, but the writing of prescriptions itself is not illegal–unless it can be shown that the prescriptions were written with the intent to enable trafficking. That’s a difficult leap to prove, the sheriff said. He was at pains to not portray the pain-management industry with the same brush as he was painting suspects. Nevertheless, the investigation is in its early stages, with a look at physicians involved occupying investigators now.
Prescription pills are by far the most lethal form of drug abuse in Florida and in the country. In Florida, even though the number of deaths attributed to prescription pills abuse is falling somewhat in Florida, it still accounts for more deaths than those attributed to cocaine, methadone, heroin and morphine combined.
“It’s the number 1 problem that we have when it comes to narcotics,” Manfre said. “These are cyclical types of activities. Crack made its way through the country, meth comes and goes, but the abuse of prescription drugs has been a constant battle for all law enforcement agencies throughout the country simply because they’re easy to obtain, they can be obtained in a legal form, and then distributed in an illegal manner. That’s why it’s so insidious. The problem is in our medical cabinets.”
Staly described some of the challenges–and ironies–detectives faced in their investigation.
“So 9 Second Path a few months ago was a major grow house,” Staly continued. “I mean, he had a huge grow house. What I saw during that search warrant, he was lucky he didn’t electrocute himself with all the power connections he was doing. We were back there, we bought from him at the house–pills.” He has the right to make bond pending trial: that’s how he was back in business.
Dyer had an arraignment in circuit court on Nov. 26. He is scheduled for a pre-trial appearance on the marijuana manufacturing charge–a third-degree felony–on Jan. 7.
Cole spoke of the arrests in a context beyond law enforcement. “It’s a quality of life issue as well,” Cole said. “When these individuals are selling from their homes, they live in neighborhoods that we all live in, and a lot of times when they victimize each other they rob each other. Just a month ago we had a marijuana deal that went bad, and as you’re aware the young man got shot in a Palm Coast street.” Cole was referring to the shooting of Trevor Blumenfeld in the LL Section on Nov. 4, when four individuals, all of whom have been arrested and charged, set up a meeting with Blumenfeld to buy marijuana from him, only to attempt to rob him of the bag. When he didn’t let go, one of them shot him. He’s been in critical condition since. “That’s a quality of life issue. That could be my kids out there in the neighborhood, that could be on my street, your street.”
The sheriff is asking the public to call 1-888/277-TIPS with any information about the individuals who have not yet been arrested. A list of those arrested and still being sought appears below.
"Operation Jingle Cells," December 2013
| Karl Cranfill, 59 | 6024 N. Oceanshore, Blvd., Palm Coast | Sale of oxycodone | ARRESTED |
| Maurice Anthony, 30 | 8 Rosecroft Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of cocaine | ARRESTED |
| Christina Quintanilla, 24 | 6024 N. Oceanshore Blvd., Palm Coast | Sale of cannabis | ARRESTED |
| Tyler Bridewell, 21 | 7 Blackberry Place, Palm Coast | Sale of morphine | ARRESTED |
| Gilbert Bridewell, 70 | 7 Blackberry Place, Palm Coast | Trafficking oxycodone (4-14 gms) | ARRESTED |
| Donna Mattson, 42 | 6024 N. Oceanshore Blvd., Palm Coast | Trafficking oxycodone (4-14 gms) | ARRESTED |
| David Ringling, 22 | 21B Plainview Drive, Palm Coast | Sale of counterfeit controlled substance | ARRESTED |
| Carla Etheridge, 28 | 6 Surrey Court, Palm Coast | Obtain controlled substance by fraud, six counts | ARRESTED |
| Joseph Colon, 30 | 6 Royal Tern Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Brad Turner, 32 | 7 Blackberry Place, Palm Coast | Sale of substance in lieu thereof a controlled substance | ARRESTED |
| Sheila Bridewell, 61 | 7 Blackberry Place, Palm Coast | Sale of morphine | ARRESTED |
| Thomas Leto, 41 | 1 Bulow Woods Circle, Flagler Beach | Sale of morphine | ARRESTED |
| Ashley Gilbert, 25 | 4 Woodstone Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Matthew Haughton, 40 | 39 Bickford Drive, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Marlon Walker, 43 | 5 Royal Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of crack cocaine within 1000' of school | ARRESTED |
| Samantha Brewer, 25 | 6 Royal Tern Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Cornelius Jones, 22 | 65 Rose Drive, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone, Sale of crack cocaine, Sale of morphine | ARRESTED |
| Jessica Bomford, 39 | 7 Pier Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Marcus Good, 44 | 66 Westglen Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone | ARRESTED |
| Raleigh Alexander, 40 | 6B Zammer Court, Palm Coast | Sale of oxycodone | AT LARGE |
| Michael Colon, 27 | 10 Black Oak Court, Palm Coast | Sale of MDNA | AT LARGE |
| Dave Downs, 27 | 62 Bruning Lane, or 21 Empress Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of cocaine, 3 counts | AT LARGE |
| Shawn Dyer, 38 | 9 Second Path, Palm Coast | Trafficking hydrocodone 28g-3kg, Possession of schedule IV controlled substance w/o prescription | AT LARGE |
| Kody Lemire, 21 | 24 Rymshaw Drive, Palm Coast | Possession of cannabis with intent | AT LARGE |
| Troy Mickens, 33 | 142 Espanola Road, Bunnell | Sale of oxycodone | AT LARGE |
| Bryan Plummer, 43 | 13 Debra Lane, or 9 Zinc Lane, Palm Coast | Possession of amphetamine | AT LARGE |
| Nelson Quinones, 48 | 4 Princess Jennifer Place, Palm Coast | Trafficking hydrcodone (4-14 gms) | AT LARGE |
| Nicole Gould, 26 | 38 White Dove Lane, Palm Coast | Obtain controlled substance by fraud, six counts | AT LARGE |
| Heather Doran, 36 | 5235 Mahogany Blvd., Bunnell | Sale of lorazepam | AT LARGE |
| Walter Prather, Jr., 30 | 1452 Wildrose Lane, Daytona Beach | Sale of hydromorphone | AT LARGE |
| Clifford Harris, 28 | 503 S. Cherry Street, Bunnell | Sale of hydromorphone | AT LARGE |
| Franklin Watson, 34 | 2 Pony Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of crack cocaine | AT LARGE |
| Kristen Priest, 33 | 4 Woodstone Lane, Palm Coast | Sale of hydromorphone, Sale of buprenorphine | AT LARGE |
| Cynthia Bolan, 55 | 202 Deen Road, Bunnell | Fraud and sale of oxycodone | AT LARGE |
Nopeekipani says
Bravo sheriff !
NortonSmitty says
Look at these people, what losers. What would drive people to do such an illegal thing?
“Some of the arrests were the result of people obtaining pills legally, by filling a prescription and then selling the pills illegally.” Really. Look at these people. They obviously have little going for them in today’s labor market. So they have no choice other than to scramble for whatever they can scrape together to pay the rent and feed the family. And they also have little problem getting a Doctor to prescribe these pills manufactured by some of the most respectable drug companies from Germany, Israel, the US and others. Who sell billions of these pills designed to be highly addictive, 3 pills a day, 90 per month at about $300 per script, or about $3.33 per pill that cost less than a nickle to manufacture. Or a 6,600% profit. These losers turn around and sell those 90 pills they paid $300 for for $20 each, or $1,800, or a 600% profit. And even though there are less than .01% of the people buying pills busted for sales, please tell me who the real drug profiteer is.
I admit I may have a different perspective on this than most people. I had a roomate in Hollywood Fla. that was a quadriplegic. He broke his neck in a sled-riding accident at his Sophomore year at Rutgers. Even though he had no feeling below his neck, he got a prescription for pain meds, 20mg Oxycontin’s that he sold for a $1500 per month profit. This illegal monthly transaction allowed him to pay his share of the rent and live indoors and eat with the rest of us. Until his body could no longer work his lungs and he died.
So are we to condemn him for having to resort to this felonious livelihood to survive, or should we think maybe it is our fault we fail to insure that the America we are so proud of takes care of it’s cripples, for lack of a more acceptable word. And the only difference between my paraplegic friend and the losers in this story is merely a matter of degree. We are failing on both ends of the spectrum to provide for the needy we swear to Jesus we would do our best for every night. And look down our noses at them every day.
Eximius Vir says
To call anybody a loser, whom you never met and do not know, is really quite bigoted. Circumstances lead people down dark and dreary paths, however they are still people and should be loved and cared for as anybody else. I’m not saying circumstances make it okay to do the wrong thing, I’m saying that people will do what they have to in order to survive and care for their loved ones. Albeit, there are always people who will do the wrong thing whether they need to survive or not.
Take a moment to realize that all of these people arrested have people they care about, and people that care about them. You shouldn’t feel anger towards them, but sympathy that they made mistakes and wish them well in turning their lives around.
In turn, I wish that you too will see through eyes unclouded by anger see people for what they are. People. We’re all people, imperfect, weak, and hungry, vying for limited resources and financial stability.
Rich says
A different perspective? Norton, a few things need to be pointed out to you. You placed yourself, and any other roommates you may have had, in jeopardy when your quadriplegic roommate was selling his prescription pills. The jeopardy you put yourself in was being an accomplice to this felonious act. You were in essence an accomplice to his trafficking in Oxycodone.
If we follow your thought process and view things from your “perspective” then why should we arrest the mother who goes to the store to steal food or presents for her family because she “can’t afford them?” Why should we arrest the burglar who breaks into your house and takes your valuables because the burglar wanted your things and didn’t want to obtain them the normal way, like get a job and work for those things? Why should we arrest the robber who takes your wallet as you come out of the mall because the robber comes from a “disenfranchised” background?
You may want to re-think your perspective on things; however, everyone is entitled to their opinions.
There are programs and assistance for handicapped individuals or “cripples” as you refer to them. I wonder how much you may have benefitted from your roommate selling his pills to live with you. Did you ever try to talk with him about it or did you all just laugh it up as you came back from the store with a sack full of groceries and beer that your roommate’s illegal activities funded???
Anonymous says
Norton, I disagree on one point. You claim they are losers and cannot find work. The woman looks like any doctor’s receptionist, saleswoman, perhaps even a nurse. The young men look like any guy around town, plumbers, carpenters, salesmen at local home improvement centers. Maybe they were in dire financial straights, but come on, that is NO excuse for illegal actions. Can you imagine the state of our community if everyone who is struggling uses crime to survive. Sorry, I don’t buy it.
Florida Native. says
“One pill makes your larger,and one pill makes you small,but the one that Mother gives you don’t do anything at all”.-Jefferson Airplane-“White Rabbit” 1967…..Good job Sheriff!
In Palm Coast says
What exactly is the degree between the family of ‘losers’ and the ‘cripple’? A lack of education? A Vietnam vet with PTSD (crippled mind as opposed to a crippled body)? A crappy economy with all our jobs going to China, India, and elsewhere…or our workforce being replaced by computers, robotics? Is the quadriplegic somehow justified in carrying out the same illegal activity?
The Neighbor says
The Bridewells live next door to my mothers former home. They were always helpful to her. They were very helpful to her partners son, when the son Michael Geary, brought in a dumpster and threw everything of his fathers and my mothers out of the home, including all the furniture, antiques, Mom’s silverware, pot and pans, dishes, my Grandfathers antique clock, antique toys, my grandmothers tables. The home is totaly empty and the son has now put the home for sale, which was supposed to be my Mom’s to live in as long as she wanted. The Bridewells have most of the furniture and no telling what else in their home at 7 Blackberry. I called the police and they took a report, but I can’t find anyone to help my Mom get her stuff back or some kind of justification for her. Her partner Jim Geary, is in Sterling House and is 96, Mom who now lives with me is 88. The Bridewell’s have always had a lot of traffic coming and going to their home, so I’m not surprised to know that drugs were involved. Gil and the boys still were always nice to Mom and have done odd jobs for her for pay.
Anon says
Many of these people were arrested without proper proof, without video or voice recording evidence. Some were arrested because of what some people SAID to the cops after getting caught themselves. Hearsay is not evidence.
jim reed says
I know one of these “losers” she’s a single mother trying to make ends meet. I am not condoning what she did, however everyday she would be at the library filling out job apps to no avail. She obtained the scripts legally for her own personal use, but yes once in a while if she needed to keep her electric on and no agency could help she would get rid of a few. I know she felt awful about this but she did what she felt she had to. Problem now is the sale was back in july. Since then she has completely changed her life. She has a good job, she no longer goes to the doctor, and now because of this she could go to prison. And the girl who set her up, continues to obtain pills from another Source getting high on a daily basis. I feel for my friend, i pray that the court goes easy on her.
Anonymous says
The fact is, if these people were not Caucasian, we would not be hearing so many excuses and justifications for their behavior. They would be called “animals” and many people on this forum would be screaming for the courts to lock them and throw away the key.
constitution=freedom says
you are correct, every time I go visit a friend that lives in the “HOOD” I get pulled over and searched. I am a white guy but because I go to an area the state/government cluster people together like cattle I must be doing something wrong, but No the system is wrong they invade privacy with cameras on telephone poles and watch people witch is a violation of your 4th amendment rights, and so what if people want drugs let them do them, its a free country and people should be able to put what ever they want into themselves, then on the other hand there are no JOBS and people have family’s to feed so they sell the cocaine that the CIA byes and puts on the street and then arrest them same people ,,,,, its a fucking meat grinder, and look at that person that cop shot 12 times because his grandmother needed help with him because he had mental problems and wouldn’t come out of a room, and not a thing happened to the cop, in fact since 1879 not 1 police officer has ever been convicted of a shooting, so I have no respect for cop, they are not here to go out and trap people they are here to protect our constitutional rights,,, that’s it they work for us, our tax dollars pay them and I don’t want to be harassed or killed by one of these insane cops because he thought my zippo lighter was a gun,,,,,,, they work for us and we the people need to stand together against this tyrannical police force in flagler countr and the country. we the people must rise
constitution=freedom says
I believe people should be able to take any meds they want and sell them if they want to, for God sake the only reason drugs are illegal is so big pharma can sell the drugs legally through prescriptions that doctors own stock in and not to mention these RX company’s pay congress/government to be allowed to sell these high powered drugs that are synthetic and even worse than the real thing, and next we have 2 million people in prison right now for non violent crimes,,, sales and possession and the drug laws are there for a few reasons, to generate $$$$$$ for the state and prison system. so if I sell drugs I am a criminal and will go to prison but if I bring a slip of paper to CVS they will sell me the same drugs that its a crime for anyone else to sell. does anyone else see a problem with that,,,