Hearing for Bradenton drug suspect continued

A Nebbia hearing for a Bradenton man who prosecutors allege leads a local drug organization and was arrested in June on multiple drug charges following a massive raid was continued for another day after about an hour and a half of testimony from his relatives and members of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Robert “Tito” Reyes, 41, appeared before Manatee Circuit Judge Susan Maulucci Thursday afternoon with his defense attorney, Peter Lombardo, in the Manatee County Judicial Center. Reyes was arrested June 14 and charged with trafficking in narcotics. Nearly a month later on July 7 and 8, he was charged with eight additional counts of trafficking in narcotics and 11 counts of possession with intent to sell narcotics.

A Nebbia hearing is held to determine the source of funds used for bail bonds and ensure they are not derived from illegitimate means. Multiple family members, including Reyes’ mother, testified that they would be willing to pay thousands of dollars each for the bond.

According to the Assistant State Attorney Dawn Buff, Reyes’ bond is currently estimated at $610,000.

The investigation into the drug organization allegedly led by Reyes began in October 2015, according to the sheriff’s office. Search warrants were executed June 14 at 2516 15 St. E., Bradenton (Reyes’ primary residence); 1523 Eighth Ave. E., Bradenton; 1923 Seventh Ave. E., Bradenton; 3015 61st St. E., Palmetto; 4315 26th Ave. E., Bradenton; 2806 Seventh St. W., Bradenton; and 1035 26th Ave. E., Bradenton. During the search warrants, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, LSD, methadone and other narcotics totaling $711,838 were seized, according to deputies. Also seized were approximately $439,000 in cash, 38 vehicles, 33 firearms and 42 dogs, many of which appeared to be malnourished and mistreated.

One male detective with the sheriff’s office spoke about calls he intercepted between Reyes and others. In several of the calls, played out loud in the courtroom, Reyes appeared angry and threatened violence to the other person on the line.

“During the interception of communication, did it appear that Mr. Robert Reyes was using multiple phone lines?” Buff asked the detective.

“Yes,” he answered. “He (Reyes) would use one phone in which his customers could contact him on, and they would contact either through a text message or a phone call but he wouldn’t answer the phone call. His typical method of operation would be to call back from other lines, and those phones would have their number blocked.”

Reyes’ defense attorney said nothing ever happened to the people who Reyes spoke to in those intercepted calls.

“You’ve got a U.S. citizen who has almost no prior record, who has ties to the community, who became aware at the end of April of 2016 that law enforcement was looking at him,” Lombardo said of his client while arguing for pretrial release. “He went to Colorado, came back voluntarily even though law enforcement was looking at him.”

Buff said Reyes engaged in a sophisticated shell game.

“If we’re talking about releasing a person and making sure they come back, this is a man who frequently calls from one phone or lets somebody call on one phone, calls back on another phone, specifically talks about it here then he’s obviously trying to evade law enforcement or evade detection,” the state attorney said. “This is the actions he’s participating in before he even knows that he’s being watched or before he knows he’s caught.”

After hearing both sides, Judge Maulucci said she wanted to take the state’s motion for pretrial detention under advisement and review some case law before making a decision. No date was immediately set for the next hearing.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 9:32 PM with the headline "Hearing for Bradenton drug suspect continued."