The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office announced today that it had conducted a 90 day investigation targeting
businesses that sell synthetic smoking products.
According to BCSO, investigators discovered that three stores were allegedly
selling products that contained controlled substances. The sales led to the execution of a search
warrant at ABD Food and Beverage located at 78 S. Orlando Avenue, Cocoa Beach and the
arrest of 60-year-old Gary Speiker for the sale of a controlled substance and delivery of drug
paraphernalia. Additionally, 35-year-old Ramy Fares was also arrested for the sale of a
controlled substance and sale of an imitation controlled substance.
A search warrant was also served at Big Mike’s Island Smoke Shop, located at 45 N. Tropical
Trail, Merritt Island, which resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Richard Lund who was
arrested for the sale of a controlled substance and the sale of an imitation controlled substance.
A third search warrant was served at the Cape Stop Tobacco and Accessories, located at 7004 N.
Atlantic Avenue, Cape Canaveral, which resulted in the arrest of 28-year-old Patrick J. Corbett
for the sale of a controlled substance and the arrest of 56-year-old Yazmeen L. Griffin, for sale
of a controlled substance.
BCSO seized a total of 2,257 packages of synthetic smoking products from the stores.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has been actively working with the Board of County
Commissioners and County Attorney’s Office to enact a County Ordinance that will ban the sale
of substances designed to imitate controlled substances that have not yet been added to the list of
illegal substances by state legislators. BCSO says that such an ordinance is critical in insuring that retailers in
Brevard County will not be allowed to continue to exploit the current state law by altering
chemicals.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding this
investigation to please contact the Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit through the
Communications Center at 321-633-7162 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).
All calls
to CRIMELINE are confidential, and callers can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward
for information leading to an arrest.