On Nov. 9, Rodney Levon Hill, a 43-year-old resident of 17 Renmont Court in Palm Coast, registered his new business at 101 Hibiscus Avenue in Bunnell with the Florida Division of Corporations. He called it Rod’s Pure Detailing LLC.
Hill has a long history of arrests and convictions in Flagler, starting with a felony conviction for burglary in 2007, two felony convictions for trafficking cocaine and hydrocodone in 2010, for which he served a 14-month stint in state prison, and another felony conviction for cocaine possession in 2015.
A little before noon on Tuesday (Jan. 13), a Flagler County Sheriff’s SWAT team, along with detectives, descended on the nameless storefront on Hibiscus Avenue with a search warrant, and eventually arrested Hill, Michael Lee Hutson, 52, and Andrew Junior Jones, 64, on a variety of charges. The Sheriff’s Office is alleging Hill was using the business as a front to sell cocaine, though he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of possession of pot and drug paraphernalia, and released after he posted bail on $1,000 bond.
Jones, a resident of South Chapel Street in Bunnell, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and two misdemeanors. He posted bail. Hutson, a resident of Hymon Circle in Bunnell, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of violating a pre-trial release order: in a separate case, he is facing a felony charges for possession of cocaine and two misdemeanor charges. That case is pending. His bond was set at $3,500. He remains at the county jail.
Five vehicles and the office area of the business were searched, allegedly yielding various amounts of pot and paraphernalia, as well as what Hill’s arrest report describes as $20 in “prop money” found in Jones’s wallet. Detectives also seized Hill’s iPhone.
Hill said he just wan ted “to do what I had to do” as he was interviewed after being read his Miranda rights. Jones, Hills’s arrest report states, “could not provide any pertinent information about what [Hill] has been doing at his shop nor if [Hill] deals drugs anymore.” Two other individuals who were not arrested were also at the property during the search, and were interviewed.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Our Sheriff is very very lucky to have such a great dedicated staff. These underpaid community heroes have never asked to work out of a 21 $million dollar building because they are used to doing a lot of their work in their cars and modest work stations. Kudos guys and gals – you deserve ALL the credit for your great accomplishments.
R. S. says
The previous arrest record should really have no bearing on this case. And before the sheriff makes this charge, I’d think that there should be some evidence of transactions of dangerous substances, where it should be clear to everyone that marijuana is NOT a dangerous substance. Seems to me that someone’s shooting from the hip here.
carole says
Yes I like knowing what is happening in my favorite county in Fl.
Concerned Citizen says
These suspects were on Inmate release.
So the previous case absolutley has bearing on the new case. They obviously gave little disregard to the fact that the State let them out early.
When you are sentenced to probation or assigned to Inmate release you are given a long list of do’s and do not’s. High on that do not list is committing new crimes.
Marijuana may indeed be a “harmless drug” But most of the time you see it involved in cases like this other narcotics are with it.
I’m more disappointed in the fact that our useless judges keep slapping these people on the wrist with easy bonds. Until I came to Flagler County I had never heard of bonds being issued on probation violation and Inmate Release violations. And that’s after spending 20 years in the public safety sector.
Mark says
So no cocaine was found? Seems like a huge waste of resources. Maybe the police can focus on more serious crime?
The Geode says
What a complete waste of time and resources. You people applaud FCSO for this fiasco? All day, I see an “open market” for drugs and these yahoos bust a detail shop for a “dime-bag” of pot. Way to go, Keystone Cops. Way to go…
ASF says
Trafficking drugs is not the same as “smoking a little pot…big deal.” At least one of these alleged perps had an extensive criminal history. Habitual criminals need to be taken off the streets. File it under, DUH.
AW says
yes! i agree. they’re using city surveillance, tag readers to build cases off their assumptions! show some real evidence or leave these happy smokers the heck alone!
The Geode says
Where did it say someone was arrested for “trafficking drugs”? What is that supposed to mean when you bring up a person’s past criminal history? This is NOT “Minority Report” where you arrest people for assumed future crimes – let alone past crimes