19 busted in Florida 'pop-up' marijuana shop sting, deputies say

19 arrested in 'pop-up' marijuana shop sting

Seminole County sheriff's deputies arrested 19 people on Saturday after reports say a pop-up business in Winter Park was selling illegal marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Nineteen people were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in a "pop-up" business in Winter Park that deputies said was illegally selling marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

"If you do the wrong thing, you gotta pay the price," said Jessie Santiago, who works at an Exxon gas station feet away from where the sting occurred.

In regard to the 19 people arrested, she said, "I would hope that they at least grasp a lesson from this."

Santiago goes on to say, "We do it the right way. We have our permits. We have everything going legally, so if you're just shopping, just shop properly."

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An arrest report says undercover deputies walked into the shop Saturday, where they were able to purchase pot. After this purchase, the sheriff’s office secured a search warrant for the property and discovered nearly 60 pounds of suspected pot, about 2-and-a-half pounds of psilocybin mushrooms – also known as magic mushrooms – and other products at the vendors’ tables.

The 19 arrested include:

Alphonso C. Coney
Jose Manuel Vega Figueroa
Kassim Michael Forbes
Chase Allen Gibson
Austin Rhyan Goldstein
Lamika Roschelle Harvey
Tiara Nichole Joiner
Christopher Don Martin Leonce
Jonathan Gabriel-Patrick Leonce
Geovanny Javier Morales
Oscar Khris Pastrana
Angel Oscar Seda Rivera
Arsenio De` Shawn Rivera
Alexandria Marie Ruemmeley
Anthony Darren Testman
Jeremiah Nathaniel Townsend
Dominic Ka`son Warren-Henderson
June Marie Williams
Matthew Johnel Winckel

Each suspect is facing at least a count of conspiracy to traffic marijuana.

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Lamika Harvey (Photo: Seminole County Sheriff's Office)

Before the search, deputies also said suspects Rivera and Ruemmeley had "two firearms, 2,696 grams of suspected cannabis, and 28 grams of psilocybin mushrooms" in a bag in their vehicle.

Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Florida. In terms of pot sales, right now, only businesses with a state-issued dispensary license can sell – and that's only for medical use.

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