TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office announced the arrests of three adults and one juvenile in connection to a string of drug store burglaries in South Florida. According to the investigation, the defendants stole prescription painkillers including morphine and oxycodone from at least two Walgreens stores with the intention to illegally sell the stolen drugs on the black market.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized a total of more than 1,000 grams of oxycodone, more than 1,000 grams of hydrocodone, seven grams of morphine and six bottles of promethazine with codeine. The drugs are suspected to be stolen from two store locations in Hialeah.
The defendants face a range of charges including burglary with a mask, grand theft of controlled substances with a mask, conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and trafficking in oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine. Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is prosecuting this case.
In addition to the juvenile suspect, authorities arrested the following defendants in connection to the recent burglaries:
· Joanky Labadie, 19, Hialeah;
· Jonluis Labadie, 19, Hialeah; and
· Raul Ponce, 18, Miramar.
The defendants are suspected to be part of a larger drug trafficking organization responsible for at least 50 drug store burglaries in Florida. The three adult defendants are known to be previously involved in the organization’s criminal activity.
In 2016, authorities arrested the following five defendants for participation in the same organization:
· Harrison Garcia, 27, Hialeah,
· Alonzo Hinson, 26, Opa Locka;
· Darrish Martin, 26, Miami;
· Bryan Pitter, 28, Miramar; and
· Chantelle Ponce, 23, Miramar.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Pembroke Pines Police Department are leading the ongoing investigation into this organization.
