Some fast acting and lots of cooperation between local and federal agents led to the seizure of 197 pounds of marijuana in Brooksville late Monday night. Around 10:30 pm, The Department of Homeland Security Investigations Department alerted our Hernando County Sheriff’s Office of a suspicious aircraft entering the airspace over our county. By 10:45 pm, a sheriff’s deputy searching Brooksville-Tampa Bay regional airport spotted the 1979 Beech Baron Twin engine plane pulling into a hangar and the door shutting. Backup arrived shortly thereafter. Homeland Security showed up as well. Lake County Sheriff’s Office was involved in the investigation as well as customs and border patrol, U.S. Marshals, and the FAA, especially agents in Atlanta and Orlando.
Joshua Overton and Aaron Andrus were found exiting the hangar and were not cooperative when questioned. Hernando County’s Vice Unit arrived around midnight. With all the agencies working together, officials were able to obtain search warrants by 6:20 am, however until that time they had no legal reason to detain the suspects, so they had to let Andrus and Overton go. Currently their whereabouts are unknown and warrants have been issued for their arrests.
Inside the small aircraft were 4 large clear plastic bags containing 8 smaller clear vacuum sealed bags of high grade marijuana totaling approximately 197 pounds- a reported street value of around $350,000. The suspects’ 2010 Ford F150 pickup truck was also in the hangar and now in custody as well. Overton is believed to be from the St. Petersburg area and is reported to own the aircraft as well as the pickup truck, however a quick search of the plane’s registration #N6024K shows that registration is pending to an individual in Santa Fe, NM. The hangar was rented by Overton about 1-2 months ago under various trust and corporation names. Andrus is reported to be from Chico, California. Neither one of the suspects are currently thought to have a criminal history.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis calls this case “unusual” because of not only the quantity of marijuana seized, but the way it got into Hernando County, saying that it was a very sophisticated operation because of the packaging. Currently, this incident is not thought to be gang related, but Nienhuis says that had the marijuana not been seized, it would have definitely led to that. It is also not thought to be linked to the recent local Heroin Bust.
Nienhuis advised that the aircraft took off from “The United States West Coast” but was vague about the exact location. When asked if it was California specifically, he repeated “Yeah, that area.” At the moment he was not able to reveal too many details about the original investigation and why Homeland Security was suspicious of this particular aircraft, however he says “It’s only a matter of time before we get them.” Corporations associated with the aircraft ownership and hangar rental are being investigated, but again because of the sensitive nature of the issue, Homeland Security won’t release that info yet either.
Senator Simpson added that he appreciates the Hernando County Sheriff’s office saying “We’re proud of them for saving lives and the state is always willing to work with them.”
Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Detective Bryan Faulkingham at 352-754-6830 or Hernando Crime Stoppers at 1-866-990-8477.