ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An operation is under way to make the streets of Orange County safer.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office teamed up with Winter Garden and Ocoee police Wednesday night, and so far, they've arrested 16 people suspected of dealing drugs and are looking to bust 14 more.
WFTV's Renee Stoll was there when the suspects were hauled off to jail.
Stoll looked up the records of all 16 people caught so far, and although they were brought into the Orange County jail for drug charges, arrest records show many are no stranger to jail.
"Ma'am, what do you want to say about selling drugs to undercover police officers?" Stoll asked one of the suspects, Jerilyn Handley.
"Oh man. Are you serious? Are you (expletive) kidding me right now?" she replied.
Handley wasn't pleased to see WFTV's cameras while Winter Garden police officers took her to the back of their car. She's charged with selling prescription pills and prostitution.
Handley and 15 others were picked up after a three-month-long investigation in West Orange County, which she calls a setup.
"And just to let you know, it was nobody selling nothing. He set me up, is exactly what it is. It's a (expletive) lie," Handley told WFTV.
"During the last three months, they stepped up what they normally do on street-level buys and so forth and put the dealers in jail," said Lt. Keith Ralston of the Winter Garden Police Department.
And in the process, the task force said it took some very dangerous people off the streets.
Rufus Thomas, 30, has been charged with crimes related to drugs at least 17 times in the past, along with gun possession and strangulation.
Julian Harp, 20, has been arrested on charges of aggravated battery, carjacking and armed robbery.
"There are some that have histories, criminal histories. Some have homicide charges in their past, resisting and aggravated battery charges and so forth," said Ralston.
The task force said it has 14 more warrants to serve.
WFTV
