April 24, 2010
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

UNDERCOVER DRUG STING IN DELAND NETS 10 ARRESTS 

Narcotics agents made 10 arrests on Friday in a sting operation designed to combat street-level drug activity in the DeLand area. The operation was spearheaded by the DeLand Police Department in conjunction with the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force. 

Undercover agents hit areas of DeLand known for drug activity early Friday afternoon, first posing as customers and then busting four accused street dealers. Then undercover agents reversed roles, posing as street-corner drug dealers. But it was actually an artificial substance made to resemble crack cocaine that was being sold by the undercover officers. After the suspects approached the undercover agents and negotiated the drug deals, agents sent the signal for the take-down team to move in for the arrest. The West Volusia Narcotics Task Force is a multi-agency force of narcotics agents from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and DeLand Police Department that shares resources and crosses jurisdictional boundaries to combat street-level drug and vice crimes. The Orange City Police Department and Daytona Beach Police Department assisted in the operation, which lasted for approximately seven hours. 

The defendants from Friday’s sting ranged in age from 18-60. All but one live in DeLand. The other lives in Orange City. The defendants and their charges are as follows:     

• Malinda Barfield, 51, DeLand. Attempted purchase of crack cocaine.

• Anthony Claudio, 43, Orange City. Attempted purchase of a controlled substance.

• Akeem Dillard, 18, DeLand. Sale and delivery of crack cocaine.

• Michael Grubbs, 48, DeLand. Sale and delivery of crack cocaine.

• Tony Johns, 51, DeLand. Attempted purchase of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance.

• Robert Lombaldo, 60, DeLand. Attempted purchase of a controlled substance.

•  Joseph Murphy, 49, DeLand. Sale of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine.

• Dale Smith, 47, DeLand. Attempted purchase of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

• Betty Smith, 42, DeLand. Sale and delivery of crack cocaine.

•  Francisco Valladares-Gonzalez, 24, DeLand. Attempted purchase of a controlled substance.