The final suspect in a fentanyl drug trafficking ring was arrested this week, capping off a multi-month investigation that resulted in the arrests of over tow dozen individuals.
Patrick Daly, 32, was arrested in the early morning hours of Thursday, August 17, on multiple felony charges including trafficking in fentanyl.
Daly, who is from Paisley, was one of 32 individuals that has been arrested as part of “Operation Daly Dose,” a multi-month investigation that identified individuals who were part of a supply chain that was responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl each month throughout Central Florida.
During the investigation, authorities seized over 2,300 grams of fentanyl. According to police, the amount collected is equal to more than 1.5 million doses of the drug.
In addition to fentanyl, authorities seized 53 grams of black tar heroin, 138 grams of cocaine, 423 grams of meth, 43 grams of MDMA, 180 opioid pills, 11 firearms, and more than $100,000 in cash and assets.
The operation is named after Drew Daly, one of the distributors that was arrested for his role in the syndicate. Daly, who turned 30 in June, joined several others who were arrested, including his suppliers, 41-year-old Vernon Woodward and 36-year-old Preston Ingram.
In addition to Drew Daly, Woodward, and Ingram, the arrests include Drew Daly’s girlfriend, Lauren Toce, who was responsible for a child who experienced a drug overdose in 2020. That child survived after receiving a dose of NARCAN at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
While Toce was incarcerated on a violation probation for child neglect, she attempted to conspire with Drew Daly and his brother, Patrick, to smuggle cocaine, Xanax, and other contraband into the Volusia County Branch Jail. Police intercepted these efforts before they ever reached inmates at the jail.
In addition to trafficking in fentanyl, Patrick Daly is accused of introducing contraband into a detention facility, as well as possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of buprenorphine, and possession of alprazolam.
In total, 33 individuals were arrested as part of the operation:
- Vernon Woodward
- Preston Gerald Denard Ingram
- Drew Thomas Daly
- Terell Devon Ross
- Darrell Deandre Woodward
- Lauren Marie Toce
- Brian Heath Vestal
- Michelle Lynn Bishop
- Tina Marie Herschman
- Allison Rebeka Gathings
- Courtney Marie Long
- Michael Patrick Hunt
- Daniel Wayne Morris
- Jessica Paige Jones
- Katie Lee Jones
- Danielle L Santopietro
- Andre Martinez
- Fernando Scott Lagunas
- Brandon Kurtis Williford
- Michael Wade Cooper
- Donald Irvin Longenecker
- Chelsea Fults-Paine
- Richard Alan Beckner
- Kevin Lee Moore
- Frederick Roy McDaniel
- Jarrick Lorenzo Ross
- Patrick Steven Daly
- Robert Lee Yates
- Donald Lowell Lucas III
- Brian Keith Pitzer
- Jose Angel Gomez Jr
- Matthew Quinn Stomber
The investigation into the syndicate was a joint operation by the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Daly is currently incarcerated at the Volusia County Branch Jail. His bond is set at $1,055,000.