Two Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been honored as Outstanding Law Enforcement Officers of the Year by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their roles in an investigation that dealt a significant blow to indoor marijuana grow operations in South Florida, including Collier.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, presented the awards to Detective Morgan Rogers and Detective Ashley Hill during an official ceremony Tuesday in Miami in recognition of the outstanding contribution to law enforcement by the two veteran CCSO Vice Narcotics Bureau detectives.
Last year, Detective Rogers and Detective Hill assisted and participated in an investigation with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Miami involving an indoor marijuana drug trafficking organization that was operating out of the South Florida area. The investigation focused on the individuals who were growing the marijuana as well as those who were purchasing the marijuana for resale.
At the conclusion of the investigation in Miami, 32 federal arrests were made. Approximately 54 pounds of processed marijuana, $500,000 in U.S. currency and eight vehicles including a Bentley were seized. Two residences, fine jewelry and art work valued at more than $500,000 were also seized. The total value of the assets that were seized in this investigation was more than $2 million.
As part of the investigation, four indoor marijuana grow houses were dismantled in Collier County, resulting in 14 arrests. Forty-two pounds of processed marijuana with an estimated street value of $126,000 and 124 marijuana plants valued at $372,000 were also seized.
Detective Rogers and Detective Hill prepared search warrants, conducted countless hours of surveillance, conducted interviews, and assisted the Miami DEA Resident Office with the investigation. This investigation dealt a significant blow to the indoor marijuana grow organizations in the South Florida area that included Collier, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and other Florida counties.
