DELAND -- 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," Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. "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, Davidson said.
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.