The drug crisis in Hillsborough County has taken a new turn with the arrest of three individuals for their involvement in the ongoing fentanyl epidemic. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reports that they charged an inmate and two accomplices following an investigation which concluded with an undercover operation.
According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Leundro Childs, 40, an inmate at Falkenburg Road Jail, was coordinating the sale of the potent synthetic opioid through his girlfriend, Tanisha Gort, 30, and Alazae Pritchett, 25, with detectives receiving a tip about the operation on July 17, 2024, leading to an undercover deal where Gort and Pritchett were caught red-handed attempting to sell fentanyl.
During the sting, Gort and Pritchett were taken into custody without incident, facing charges of Trafficking in Fentanyl in quantities exceeding 28 grams. Subsequent searches of Gort's residence and a storage unit revealed over 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl along with two semi-auto rifles, hinting at the gravity of the narcotics operation and the potential for violence surrounding it.
The orchestrator behind these crimes, Childs, is currently serving time for drug charges and boasts a considerable criminal history with an 18-time felony record, he's now facing additional charges for Conspiracy to Traffic in Illegal Drugs ranging from 28 grams to 30 kilograms, with Sheriff Chad Chronister remarking "It deeply disgusts me to see individuals using their time in our correctional facilities to perpetuate the opioid crisis on our streets" as the level of premeditation and exploitation inherent in the operation becomes evident, the three arrests underscore the relentless push of law enforcement to clamp down on the opioid crisis that continues to beleaguer communities.
Further updates on the case will be provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Public Affairs Office, as the community awaits the unfolding implications of this significant drug bust.
