State Attorney Andrew Bain unveiled the culmination of a 10-month concerted effort to systematically take down a local street gang in Orange County, known as Respect, Money Structure/Everybody Killer (RMS/EBK). As reported by WFTV, the sweeping operation, dubbed "Operation Dirty 30s", has charged 11 individuals on a multitude of counts, including racketeering, drug trafficking, and notably, three counts of first-degree murder in relation to the distribution of fentanyl.
During a press conference, Assistant State Attorney and Narcotics Chief Anne Wedge-McMillen and Orange County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Carlos Torres stood alongside Bain to articulate the gravity of the situation. "Not a single person here knew that they were buying fentanyl and not a single person here had any desire to die," Wedge-McMillen stated, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando.
The investigation that led to the indictments began to significantly unfold after the crackdown on a woman in possession of over 28 grams of fentanyl, which subsequently unraveled connections to higher echelons within the drug organization. "When these drug trafficking organizations sell deadly fentanyl disguised as oxycodone, they know it's likely going to create a death, an overdose. But they don't care," Deputy Chief Torres stated, as per FOX 35 Orlando.
