Global Courant
Florida police arrested 12 people, some spanning three generations of a family known to law enforcement, for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking operation in the Winter Haven area.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said the Rogers family has a long history of illegal narcotics sales and was at the center of an investigation between its deputies and the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation led to the arrest of nine adults and three juveniles, as well as the seizure of 1,366 grams of methamphetamine, 980 grams of cocaine, 900 grams of MDMA (ecstasy), 224 grams of fentanyl, 158 grams of marijuana, 9 grams of Oxycodone, 202 prescription pills and a firearm .
The sheriff’s office said the street value of the drugs was about $139,000 and the amount of fentanyl taken off the street was enough to kill 95,500 people.
FLORIDA POLICE DISMANTLING ‘METH ISLAND’ FROM CRACKERS IN BOBBY CASES
The Polk County, Florida Sheriff’s Office executed multiple warrants related to a family allegedly involved in drug trafficking, resulting in the arrest of nine adults and three youths. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
According to police, 38-year-old Kenneth “Pop” Rogers runs the family drug trafficking operation and was in the Polk County Jail prior to the simultaneous execution of three search warrants at three Inwood locations.
Rogers, police said, was arrested on April 11 on a warrant and was in possession of about 16 grams of cocaine and more than $21,000. His criminal history includes 62 felonies, 22 misdemeanor offenses and he has been in prison four times.
In 2020, Rogers was arrested during Operation Hot Wire, a nine-month investigation into illegal drug trafficking that resulted in 74 arrests, 711 felonies and 11 misdemeanor counts.
ARMED MAN IN FLORIDA CONFRONTS CRACKER WHO TAKES HOUSE WHILE HE WAS IN THE SEA: POLICE
File photo of a Polk County cruiser. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called members of the Rogers family a “cancer” in the community. He said they brought in drugs, crime and drug activity. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
On Thursday, the PCSO simultaneously executed search warrants at three locations in Inwood.
Detectives seized drugs at all three locations.
At one location, Rogers’ father, Odia Rogers, 69, was arrested, as well as Odia’s 31-year-old daughter Tameka Rogers and his girlfriend, 59-year-old Theresa Prince. All three suspects are on trial on drug-related charges.
FLORIDA SUSPECTS STOLEN LUXURY VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED VINS AND COUNTERFEIT INSURANCE: POLICE
When detectives executed another search warrant, they arrested Odia’s 39-year-old son, Rafel Rogers, who was charged with drug and weapons-related charges.
At the third location, detectives arrested Odia’s 21-year-old grandson, Jordan Rogers, as well as two 16-year-old women and a 15-year-old man. All three suspects are charged with drug trafficking, with one of the 16-year-old women being charged with drug trafficking.
Three other suspects have been arrested as part of the operation, including Gerard Hall, 32, and Alpavin Tucker, 36, who were arrested on April 20 and remain in the Polk County Jail.
Dominique Rogers, 28, was also arrested by PCSO on May 24 in connection with a death inquiry of a 19-year-old woman who died of a possible drug overdose. On June 14, Dominique was arrested by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of first-degree murder for another felony in which he was allegedly involved.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Members of the Rogers family are very well known to law enforcement and have been arrested many times over the years,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “They have long been a cancer in the Inwood community, exposing families there to unwanted drug activity, gangs, violence and more. We want these families to know that we are doing everything we can to end it .”
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
