Fourteen residents of Polk County have been indicted on federal charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced Monday.
The indictment alleges that the individuals were part of a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Those charged include:
- Curtis Charles Tinsley, 47, Lakeland
- Tyler Anthony Devaney, 32, Winter Haven
- Alvin Antonio Barnes III, 47, Lakeland
- Tonyo Cortez Evans, 39, Lakeland
- Lamar Anthony Hamilton, 43, Lakeland
- Albert Lewis III, 48, Lakeland
- Tyrese Leon Pratt, 39, Lakeland
- Antonio Groover, 32, Dundee
- Kenji Antwana Miller, 38, Lakeland
- Melvin Sharon Murray, 48, Lakeland
- Robert James Johnson IV, 32, Lakeland
- Steven Wayne Gay, 55, Lakeland
- Tiffany Elaine Creach, 43, Lakeland
- Sabrina Marie Taylor, 40, Dover
Several defendants—Devaney, Barnes, Hamilton, Pratt, and Groover—face additional charges for unlawfully possessing firearms or ammunition as convicted felons. Devaney, Pratt, and Hamilton are also accused of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The indictment further alleges that Tinsley, Devaney, Barnes, Evans, Hamilton, Groover, Miller, Murray, and Gay committed the offenses after prior convictions for serious drug or violent crimes.
Authorities emphasize that an indictment is a formal charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Pardo and was investigated by the FBI, Lakeland Police Department, and Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is part of a broader effort under the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which targets high-level criminal networks through coordinated, multi-agency investigations.
