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Ocala
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Specialized strike team busts Ocala man on 30 drug-related charges

Ladeldrick Dreon Brown

An Ocala man is behind bars on 30 drug-related charges after a specialized strike team busted him at a local mobile home park.

Members of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) had identified 34-year-old Ladeldrick Dreon Brown as a person of interest involved in the illegal sales and distribution of narcotics in and around Ocala. As a result, a long-term investigation was initiated and it was determined that Brown was on federal probation for armed trafficking in cocaine and other drug-related charges.

The investigation came to a conclusion Thursday when UDEST agents located Brown at the Blue Skies Estates mobile home park, located at 2426 NE 14th St. They searched Brown’s vehicle and found a “variety” of illegal drugs and paraphernalia, a report says.

Brown was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with trafficking in MDMA (15.5 grams), trafficking in crystal methamphetamine (37 grams), trafficking in cocaine (35.5 grams), possession of marijuana less than 20 grams (16 grams) and possession of drug paraphernalia. As a result of those charges, Brown’s federal probation was violated, the report says.

Ladeldrick Dreon Brown, 34, of Ocala, was arrested Thursday after agents with the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team located him at the Blue Skies Estates mobile home park and searched his vehicle. Agents say they found multiple illegal narcotics and $1,145 in cash, which was confiscated along with two vehicles.

Brown also was identified as the subject of 10 other cases during the several-months-long investigation. Those cases are being closed with Brown’s arrest and the charges he’s facing include eight counts of sale of crack cocaine, eight counts of possession of crack cocaine, possession of heroin, sale of heroin, possession of crystal methamphetamine and sale of crystal methamphetamine.

In addition, the vehicles Brown allegedly used to facilitate the illegal drug transactions – a 2009 Dodge Charger and a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck – were seized, as was $1,145 in cash.

Brown was being held with no bond. He is due in court Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. to answer to the charges.

UDEST is an initiative of the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. It is comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement from the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security.