Sheriff Grady Judd, known for his straightforward approach and flair for the dramatic, announced the dismantling of a drug-trafficking group in Florida by sporting the ringleader’s gold chain and bracelet at a press conference.

The Polk County sheriff used the jewelry as a symbolic gesture to highlight what he described as the lethal outcomes from so-called “minor” drug transactions. He also displayed confiscated firearms to emphasize the point that such dealers are equipped and dangerous.

“I have their bling. I have their cash. We have their weapons. We have their drugs,” Judd remarked on Friday, revealing the results of a yearlong probe that culminated in the apprehension of 32 individuals in Bartow.

Judd pointed out Nathaniel “Nate” Donald, a habitual offender, as the leader of the operation and mentioned that someone in his group sold cocaine to 65-year-old Irene Anderson one Saturday night last year. Anderson collapsed and passed away hours afterward on her way to church.

“Now, consider this for a moment. People keep telling you that drugs are minor and nonviolent,” Judd stated. “They are far from minor and nonviolent. Where you spot $50,000 worth of bling, where you spot that ‘not-so-dangerous’ drug like cannabis, you see firearms and encounter first-degree murder due to overdose.”

The detectives identified Donald, Bryan “B” Myrick, and Isaiah “Bubba” Donald as main figures in the network. Myrick, who was released from incarceration in 2021 for cocaine trafficking, is now facing numerous fresh charges, such as conspiracy to distribute cocaine and trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and MDMA.

Troy Walker, supplied by Myrick, sold the cocaine to Anderson and has since been indicted for first-degree murder in her overdose death.

In total, investigators seized thousands of grams of illegal drugs with a combined street value of $150,000. Arrests included suspects already on probation or pre-trial release, and several firearms were recovered from convicted felons. Detectives said the suspects’ combined criminal histories add up to 554 felonies and 394 misdemeanors.

Judd said the only place for drug dealers is in prison, because when they are released they quickly reoffend — often with deadly consequences.

Investigators released a chart showing 32 suspects and their roles in “Operation Capital City Crack Down,” a yearlong investigation into drug trafficking in Bartow. (PCSO/Handout)

“They’re a menace to society. They’ve got to stay in prison, or people die,” Judd said. “Whoever tells you that narcotics is low level and nonviolent — they’re crazy.”

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Capital City Crack Down,” began in August 2024. It was led by PCSO’s Tactical Drug Unit, Organized Crime Unit and the HIDTA Task Force with support from the State Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, FDLE, FBI, the Bartow Police Department, and other partners.