Several Manatee residents arrested in multi-county drug bust, deputies say
Several Manatee County residents are among more than a dozen people charged in a yearlong narcotics investigation that targeted fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking across Southwest Florida.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced that Operation Ice Break, conducted from 2024 through 2025, led to 14 arrests and 40 felony charges tied to large-scale drug trafficking operations that stretched across several counties, including Manatee County.
Three Bradenton residents were among those charged. Andrew Scott, 32, and Kaitlyn Dupre, 28, both face charges of conspiracy to traffic in meth and fentanyl, according to the sheriff’s office. Rockford Upton, 57, is charged with conspiracy to traffic in meth, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said they also arrested 42-year-old Jamie Edwards, Palmetto, who faces a felony count of conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl.
Another Manatee County resident remains at large. Jo’Kevious Bell, 34, of Bradenton, has an outstanding warrant on three counts related to conspiracy to traffic in meth and fentanyl, according to investigators.
Detectives said the investigation targeted large-scale trafficking networks responsible for distributing fentanyl and meth throughout the region. Several defendants face mandatory minimum prison sentences if convicted because the charges involve drug quantities that meet trafficking thresholds under Florida law, according to the sheriff’s office.
Under Florida law, trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum prison sentences that escalate based on the type and amount of drugs involved. For fentanyl and meth, those minimums can range from several years to decades in prison, leaving judges with limited discretion at sentencing if a defendant is convicted.
Other people charged in the operation include Michael Chad Bennett, 47, of Sarasota; Trisha Steffes, 44, of Venice; Peter Thibodeau, 48, of Sarasota; Ashley Wehrlen, 41, of Sarasota; Dora Jean Dixon, 59, of Sarasota; Jesus Pineda, 39, of Sarasota; Alyssa Duross, 25, of Nokomis; Walter Lint, 59, of Nokomis; Jason Straub, 42, of Englewood; and Eric Walker, 45, of Ona, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said they also issued a warrant for Timothy Chipman, 50, of Arcadia, on a charge of conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.
