DESOTO COUNTY, FLA. — A DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) drug bust netted almost 25 pounds of methamphetamine, officials said.
On May 13, the DCSO Narcotics Unit obtained arrest warrants for Imamu Gilchrist, 54, of Arcadia, for narcotics sales within DeSoto County.
Detectives located Gilchrist at the Economy Inn in Arcadia standing next to his truck and was taken into custody. Detectives also detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
DCSO called in a K-9 unit investigate the vehicle, which alerted to narcotics.
Based on the alert and other probable causes, detectives did a lawful search of the vehicle, officials said
During the search, detectives discovered:
• Ten plastic food storage containers weighing approximately 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) each. One container held cocaine, while the remaining containers contained methamphetamine.
• Several bundles of U.S. currency.
• One food storage container holding eight “cookies” of cocaine, each weighing approximately 30 grams.
• A Ziplock bag containing 19 individually packaged bags of powder cocaine weighing approximately 12–14 grams each.
• Marijuana.
• A gallon-sized Ziplock-style bag containing approximately 2.1 pounds of methamphetamine.
• A lunchbox containing over $40,000
• A small lockbox containing crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and eight individual bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 28 grams each.
• Multiple empty baggies, which are commonly used for narcotics distribution.
• One “brick” or kilo of cocaine, weight approximately 2.2lb.
All suspected narcotics were field tested separately and displayed positive results for methamphetamine or cocaine.
In total, detectives seized approximately:
• $41,000 in U.S. currency
• 24.619 pounds of methamphetamine
• 3.5 pounds of cocaine
•1/2 pound of crack cocaine
The street value of the narcotics seized is approximately $148,000.
“This significant dangerous drug seizure highlights the relentless work of our Narcotics Detectives and the Sheriff’s Office commitment to keeping dangerous unlawful narcotics off the streets of DeSoto County,” Sheriff James Potter said.
Gilchrist was booked into the DeSoto County Jail.
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