Drugs, Guns Recovered as VSO Serves DeLand-Area Search Warrants

Two residences in the DeLand area had search warrants served by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office earlier this week. The searches led to multiple arrests and the seizure of narcotics and firearms. The two homes in question were located at 769 Grant Ave and 960 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Each location produced the arrests of three suspects on various charges, leading to a total of six arrests between the two warrants. Grant Avenue The first warrant was served at the Grant Ave residence. Bodycam footage of the operation appears to show deputies announcing their search warrant and ordering the door opened. The property owner, 58-year-old Richard Frisbee, was arrested for maintaining a property for drug sales and possession of drug paraphernalia. “This homeowner just allows these dope-ball dope dealers to come here,” said Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. “We have multiple sales of crack cocaine and hopefully sooner or later the bank’s gonna come in and do what they need to do before they don’t have a property here anymore. The house is in foreclosure, this guy is just a real piece of scum.” Additional arrests included 30-year-old Ashley Kersey on two narcotics possession charges and one of violation of probation, as well as 28-year-old Samuel McDonald for possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. Pennsylvania Avenue The second of the two warrants was served at the Pennsylvania Ave residence. As fate would have it, one of the targets in this operation was Samuel McDonald, who was just recently taken into custody at the Grant Ave home. A more high-priority target, however, was still free: 37-year-old accused drug trafficker Michael T. Harris Jr. When the Volusia Sheriff’s Office arrived at the second home, Harris was reportedly off-site on a fishing trip at DeLeon Springs State Park. He was later located and arrested on several criminal charges. These included the armed trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and Oxycodone, fentanyl and cocaine manufacturing, possession of Schedule II and Schedule III narcotics within 1,000 feet of a park or school, eight counts of possession of a firearm or ammo by a convicted felon, possession of a short-barreled rifle, Oxycodone possession with intent to sell inside a state park, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Two others were also arrested. 33-year-old Ashley Hereid was charged with three counts of narcotics possession and one count of drug paraphernalia possession, while 31-year-old Justin McClain-McDonald was charged with narcotics possession and drug paraphernalia possession. According to the VSO, deputies recovered 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 750 grams of fentanyl, 112 grams of crack cocaine, as well as unspecified amounts of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Suboxone. They also seized cash and seven firearms, one of which was a fully automatic rifle.