JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Officials served 13 arrest warrants in connection with the raids at the Smoker's Video locations in Jacksonville. One of those arrests is connected to the death of a Clay County teen.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and other local and state officials released information Thursday afternoon in relation to "Operation Chain Smokers." Officials raided three Jacksonville Smoker's Video shops: Emerson Street, Beach Boulevard and Normandy Boulevard.
Officials seized $62,000, 261 vials of "synthetic sunshine" and more than 3,000 bags of "Breeze" in connection with the raids Wednesday at Smoker's Video stores.
The long-term investigation included more than 200 undercover purchases, JSO said.
The packages of the synthetic drugs were targeted to children and teens, officials said.
"You are not going to poison our kids and our teens," Bondi said.
Action News Jax first reported two years ago about K2, also known as Spice, being sold at Smoker's Video on Normandy Boulevard. Doctors said the synthetic drugs are highly addictive and can even be deadly.
Members of the Smoker's Video organization who were arrested face felony charges, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise, participating in a pattern of racketeering activity, knowingly misbranding drugs, sale of controlled substances and delivery of paraphernalia, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said.
One store owner and manager, Ronald Brown, is charged with manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Matthew Purdy. Williams said Matthew purchased synthetic "Sunshine" at Smoker's Video on Normandy Boulevard hours before his death. Matthew died while smoking "Sunshine" at a Clay County park.
Bondi said a new Florida law will crack down harder on people who sell synthetic drugs.
“They’re not going to be able to change the compounds (of the drugs), because if it’s anywhere close to those compounds, it’s called analogging, it will be illegal.”
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