St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office announces statewide crime ring ends with 9 arrests

April 28--ST. LUCIE COUNTY -- A statewide criminal network involving racketeering, extortion, car and boat thefts, fraud and drug trafficking based in Port St. Lucie has been shut down, said Sheriff Ken Mascara.

Officials from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies announced Wednesday they made nine arrests April 6 related to information gathered from the St. Lucie County sheriff's annual Summer Task Force, Mascara said. Two of the nine people arrested were from the Treasure Coast: the ringleader from Port St. Lucie, and a man from Palm City.

The group was involved in stealing vehicles, boats and motors, removing identification numbers and then profiting on sales to further drug trafficking, Mascara said. The group also was involved in extorting people with threats of violence and defrauding insurance companies through false claims.

The criminal network, which has been operating for at least 10 years, stretched from Tampa to the Florida Keys and resulted in victims on the Treasure Coast and South Florida, he said. The investigation, which lasted from September until this month, was named Operation Bread Winner after how those involved referred to money as bread.

A court-ordered wiretap was used in the investigation to gain information about the group, Mascara said.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation included the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, Martin County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Miami-Dade Police Department and Office of Statewide Prosecution.

Here are the nine people officials said were arrested:

* Ivan Blanco-Avila, 40, of Port St. Lucie, was charged with two counts of racketeering, two counts of conspiracy to commit racketeering, two counts of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of sale of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, insurance fraud, conspiracy to deal in stolen property, extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and false report of a crime. He remained Wednesday in the St. Lucie County Jail with a $1,975,000 bail.

* Richard Henry Byrd, 46, of Palm City, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, insurance fraud, extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion. He remained Wednesday in the St. Lucie County Jail with a $1,700,000 bail.

* Rolando Tranquilino Garcia-Ruiz, 67, of Miami, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, trafficking in cocaine and two counts of conspiracy to buy cocaine. He remained Wednesday in the Miami-Dade County Jail with a $230,000 bail.

* Rolando Garcia-Garmendia, 44, of Miami, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, three counts of trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic cocaine, three counts of conspiracy to buy cocaine and two counts of trafficking in stolen property. He remained Wednesday in the Miami-Dade County Jail with a $1,700,000 bail.

* Henry Blanco-Avila, 45, of Seminole, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, dealing in stolen property, insurance fraud, extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion. He remained Wednesday in the St. Lucie County Jail with a $1,700,000 bail.

* Melissa Garcia, 41, of Miami, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, two counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and trafficking in cocaine. She had been released from the Miami-Dade County Jail on a $65,000 bail.

* Newman Marquez, 23, of Miami, conspiracy to commit racketeering, armed trafficking, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remained Wednesday in the Miami-Dade County Jail with a $550,000 bail.

* Silvia De Garcia, 60, of Miami, was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. She had been released from the Miami-Dade County Jail on a $50,000 bail.

* Harold Toro, 47, of Miami, was charged with cocaine possession and driving with a suspended license. He remained Wednesday in the Miami-Dade County Jail with a $1,000 bail.

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