19 busted in Florida 'pop-up' marijuana shop sting, deputies say
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Nineteen people were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in a "pop-up" business in Winter Park that deputies said was illegally selling marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.
"If you do the wrong thing, you gotta pay the price," said Jessie Santiago, who works at an Exxon gas station feet away from where the sting occurred.
In regard to the 19 people arrested, she said, "I would hope that they at least grasp a lesson from this."
Santiago goes on to say, "We do it the right way. We have our permits. We have everything going legally, so if you're just shopping, just shop properly."
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An arrest report says undercover deputies walked into the shop Saturday, where they were able to purchase pot. After this purchase, the sheriff’s office secured a search warrant for the property and discovered nearly 60 pounds of suspected pot, about 2-and-a-half pounds of psilocybin mushrooms – also known as magic mushrooms – and other products at the vendors’ tables.
The 19 arrested include:
- Alphonso C. Coney
- Jose Manuel Vega Figueroa
- Kassim Michael Forbes
- Chase Allen Gibson
- Austin Rhyan Goldstein
- Lamika Roschelle Harvey
- Tiara Nichole Joiner
- Christopher Don Martin Leonce
- Jonathan Gabriel-Patrick Leonce
- Geovanny Javier Morales
- Oscar Khris Pastrana
- Angel Oscar Seda Rivera
- Arsenio De` Shawn Rivera
- Alexandria Marie Ruemmeley
- Anthony Darren Testman
- Jeremiah Nathaniel Townsend
- Dominic Ka`son Warren-Henderson
- June Marie Williams
- Matthew Johnel Winckel
Each suspect is facing at least a count of conspiracy to traffic marijuana.
Before the search, deputies also said suspects Rivera and Ruemmeley had "two firearms, 2,696 grams of suspected cannabis, and 28 grams of psilocybin mushrooms" in a bag in their vehicle.
Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Florida. In terms of pot sales, right now, only businesses with a state-issued dispensary license can sell – and that's only for medical use.
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Santiago said, "I think it's kind of crazy that anybody would attempt that, especially illegally."