SHARPES — Dozens of people were arrested and more are being sought as part of an investigation into crystal meth and fentanyl trafficking operations taking place along the Space Coast, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday.

Most of the suspects in the case were charged with racketeering, drug trafficking or both in a case that spans the entire county and multiple local cities.

In total, agents seized over $100,000 in cash, $81,000 worth of methamphetamine, $100,000 worth of fentanyl, 75 firearms in addition to heroin and pills.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the bust is the largest drug operation to be dismantled in Brevard and involved investigations on the local, state and federal levels.

"We have close to 60 arrests," said Ivey, speaking about the 6-month investigation.

Just a few feet away, a table displayed what Ivey described as "enough fentanyl to kill everyone in Brevard County."

Brevard has a population of 580,000 people, and the Drug Enforcement Agency estimates a 2 mg dose is lethal to most.

Over 40 additional suspects are being sought with arrest warrants.

The arrests were an ongoing response to the impact of the opioid crisis gripping Florida and the rest of the nation. Heroin, fentanyl and prescription pills have impacted lives across Brevard County, from overdose deaths to street crime, prosecutors and law enforcement officials said.

The magnitude of the investigation drew Gov. Ron DeSantis along with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to a news conference called Wednesday by Ivey at the Brevard County Jail.

DeSantis pointed out 172 overdose deaths have been reported in Brevard County in the past two years.

Moody praised the efforts of the Sheriff's Office and added her office was pursuing litigation on all fronts.

"We are going after the corporations who caused this crisis, not just going after street-level dealers," she said.

The agency displayed thousands of dollars in cash and drugs — including a kilo of fentanyl, the opioid nearly 50 times more powerful than morphine or heroin. Photos of suspects and other drug seizures were plastered on a nearby wall.

Ivey would not disclose any specific investigative techniques or how Sheriff's Office agents were able to penetrate the organization. Court documents show a use of multiple methods, including warrants for cell phone taps.

Among the arrests were a half-dozen suspects Ivey described as the primary distributors: Jon Faulconer, 35, Cocoa; Megan Rodell, 40, Cocoa; Johnathan Walker, 42, Cocoa; Tabitha Wilbanks, 39, Merritt Island; Brandon Huff, 35, Cocoa; and Megan Wiborn, 31, Merritt Island.

investigators found a pound of methamphetamine and over a quarter-kilo of fentanyl at Wilborn's Westwood Drive residence in Merritt Island. She is faced with racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy charges for her role in the operation.

Faulconer was picked up in a traffic stop last month in Palm Bay when deputies found nearly 30 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle after a search by a K9 officer.

Sheriff's Office reports indicate Huff, Walker and Wilborn were all involved in procuring large amounts of narcotics they would distribute to others throughout the county.

How the group was organized and the exact hierarchy was not disclosed by agents Wednesday.



Those arrested: