A SWAT team stormed a home on Roxbury Lane in Palm Coast last Thursday, arresting three men after investigators say they tried to destroy evidence tied to a fatal drug overdose case. Michael McDermott, 39, Matthew Green, 38, and Kavin Price, 50, now face charges including fentanyl possession and evidence tampering, with authorities warning that more serious charges — including homicide — could still follow.
The raid at 1 Roxbury Lane traces back to the July 25 death of 41-year-old Brandon Mack Morris, who was found dead in a bedroom on Red Birch Lane next to a clear plastic bag containing an unknown white powder, according to FlaglerLive. That death launched the overdose investigation that, on August 6, led the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit, Major Case Unit and SWAT team to serve a search warrant at the Roxbury Lane address, as reported by the Tampa Free Press.
According to that outlet, the SWAT team secured four individuals at the home without incident, though McDermott reportedly ran from the back patio into the main bedroom as deputies arrived. Other occupants inside allegedly moved from the living room into the bedroom during the encounter. Investigators determined that ripped, wet plastic bags found in the shower were consistent with an attempt to destroy evidence, and detectives ultimately seized fentanyl and narcotics paraphernalia from the home.
Charges Stack Up for Three Roxbury Lane Residents
McDermott, Green and Price all lived together at the Roxbury Lane address where the warrant was executed. Per the Tampa Free Press account, all three were charged with possession of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with evidence; McDermott was additionally charged with obstruction without violence. A fourth occupant was present at the scene but was not arrested.
The evidence tampering charges carry extra weight because they're classified as second-degree felonies specifically tied to tampering with evidence in a capital felony proceeding — a reflection of the homicide nature of the underlying overdose probe, the outlet reports. The three men were transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Price was released on a $6,500 bond, Green remains in custody on the same $6,500 bond amount, and McDermott remains held on a $7,000 bond.
All three men have lengthy arrest histories in Flagler County. According to FCSO records cited by the Tampa Free Press, McDermott has 15 previous arrests and has served one state prison sentence, having previously faced charges including possession of cocaine with intent to sell, fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, as well as kidnapping, grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and fleeing law enforcement. Green has 13 previous arrests and has served multiple state prison sentences, with past charges including sale of oxycodone, robbery with a firearm, burglary of an occupied dwelling and shoplifting. Price has eight previous arrests and has served one state prison sentence, having previously faced charges for possession of a controlled substance and unlicensed carrying of a firearm.
Why Overdoses Trigger Homicide-Style Investigations
Under a standing directive from Sheriff Rick Staly, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office investigates every fatal drug overdose as a homicide first, ruling out murder charges only if evidence fails to link a supplier to the fatal dose, FlaglerLive reports. That policy is backed by Florida Statute 782.04, which allows the unlawful distribution of controlled substances like fentanyl or heroin that proximately causes a fatal overdose to be charged as capital or first-degree murder — exposing distributors to life imprisonment or the death penalty without requiring prosecutors to prove intent to kill.
Sheriff Staly said the three suspects arrested at Roxbury Lane may face additional charges, and that the investigation will continue until the person responsible for the overdose death is held accountable, according to the Tampa Free Press. Authorities have indicated those additional charges could include homicide, pending toxicology and digital evidence analysis. The death investigation into Morris's overdose remains ongoing.
A County Wrestling With a Long-Running Overdose Crisis
The Roxbury Lane raid fits a pattern in Flagler County, where law enforcement has arrested at least 11 people in connection with fatal overdose investigations since adopting the homicide-first policy, according to First Coast News, leading to multiple grand jury murder indictments and state prison sentences up to life.
Even so, recent numbers suggest the crisis may be easing. The 23rd District Medical Examiner's Office recorded seven overdose deaths in Flagler County through mid-2025, down from nine during the same period in 2024, per News4JAX. Statewide, Florida Medical Examiners Commission data released in May showed opioid-caused deaths dropped 42% and fentanyl-caused deaths fell 46% during the first six months of 2025 compared to the year before.
That short-term improvement follows a much longer surge. Data compiled in the 2025 Community Health Improvement Plan from the Florida Department of Health showed Flagler County's age-adjusted drug poisoning death rate climbed from 13.1 per 100,000 residents in 2014 to 34.0 per 100,000 in 2023, according to the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida. It's the kind of decade-long climb that helps explain why Flagler deputies now treat every overdose scene as a potential murder case from the outset.
