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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man could be sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in connection to a 2025 drug bust in which 92,000 pounds of suspected illegal drugs were seized in Brevard County.
What we know:
Maxwell Horvath, 26, was arrested after the Brevard County Sheriff's office seized 92,000 pounds of suspected illegal drugs, dozens of guns, and five improvised explosive devices from a warehouse, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.
Ivey described the alleged drug operation as "'Breaking Bad' on steroids," referencing the hit AMC TV show.
Horvath was arrested on several weapons charges. Law enforcement found 38 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, a Dec. 3 charging affidavit said. The guns were located throughout the warehouse on tables and hidden under tarps.
Authorities also found five IEDs, grenade simulators, automatic weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and several pieces of equipment, officials said.
On Feb. 17, Horvath pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement, Horvath faces no further charges.
Previous drug conviction
In 2019, Horvath pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release.
What is Kratom and 7-OH?
Horvath was also under suspicion of producing and distributing a derivative of Kratom, also known as 7-OH, which is illegal in Florida, Sheriff Ivey said. Officials estimated the value of the alleged illegal substance found at a Palm Bay building equates to as much as $4.7 million.
7-OH is derived from a plant and works to bind opioid receptors.
"When that’s compressed and put into a pill form, it’s 13 times more powerful than morphine," Ivey said.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier classified 7-OH as a Schedule 1 controlled substance under Florida law.
The FDA said this drug is dangerous because consumers can easily purchase products with concentrated levels of 7-OH online and in gas stations, corner stores and vape shops. It's also being marketed to children and teens by being put into fruit-flavored gummies and ice cream cones, the FDA said.
This arrest comes a day after the FDA and U.S. Department of Justice announced a joint effort to target illegal products containing 7-hydroxymitragine. 73,000 units of product were seized at three warehouses in the country.
What's next:
Horvath's sentencing is scheduled for June 10 at 9:30 a.m.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from court documents filed in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida Orlando Division.