BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Two Central Florida high school football coaches were arrested for allegedly running a drug ring.
Leonard Agee Jr., 40, and Benjamin Jenkins, 36, were charged Wednesday with conspiracy to distribute and possession to distribute controlled substances, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
They bonded out and were released from Brevard County Jail the same day.
Agee, of Titusville, and Jenkins, of Mims, were employees and assistant football coaches with Titusville High School, investigators said. Both were instructional assistants. Jenkins served as an instructional assistant at Imperial Estates Elementary, and Agee served as an instructional assistant at Titusville High.
Watch: Benjamin Jenkins leaves the Brevard County Jail
Watch: Leonard Agee Jr., is released from Brevard County Jail
According to documents released on Wednesday, the investigation began in September 2015, and lasted until Wednesday, when Agee sold heroin to a confidential informant and trafficked cocaine and marijuana, investigators said.
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The 36-page document said the men were getting drugs from Miami, Colorado and Fort Lauderdale.
Jenkins is accused of selling prescription pills and cocaine to confidential informants on multiple occasions starting in 2015.
They were ordered by a judge to disclose their charges to any potential bosses if they wish to work around children again.
An agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration told Channel 9’s Field Sutton, one of the suspects thought he was selling oxycodone, but it was really fentanyl, a highly addictive and potentially deadly painkiller.
"This fentanyl, which is a growing problem for us in the Central Florida region, was now being packaged to look exactly like oxycodone,” said Jeff Walsh, DEA special agent.
Investigators said drugs were never sold to students.
"I don't like any type of crime around children, and I don't think any of the gentlemen up here like that at all," said Chief John Lau with the Titusville Police Department.
Investigators said one of the suspects did give a student a ride in his personal vehicle. During a stop, the suspect made a heroin sale.
Another suspect coached track and allegedly used a track meet in Fort Lauderdale as a cover to pick up 12 kilos of cocaine, investigators said.
Eyewitness News asked investigators why the school district wasn't notified about the nearly yearlong investigation. Investigators said they believe the presence of a school resource officer was enough to guard against any danger to students.
The Brevard County School District said in a statement:
“We were notified today by local and federal law enforcement that two BPS employees were arrested and are currently in police custody; Based on the charges presented, both employees have been immediately relieved of their coaching duties at Titusville High School and instructional assistant responsibilities for the 2016-2017 school year. They have been placed on administrative leave pending termination recommendation to be approved at the regularly scheduled July 19, 2016, school board meeting.”
“I cannot truly express how deeply appalled I am to learn of this egregious violation of our trust by people we employ to serve our students,” said Dr. Desmond Blackburn. “Our staff immediately took action to remove these individuals from their duties, and I will work diligently with our human resources team to instill appropriate employment recommendations to ensure we safeguard our most precious resources; the students and families we serve.”
Three other people were arrested on state charges in connection with the bust.
Cecil Jerome Thorton, 44, was charged with violation of probation, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
Jerry Pickens Jr., 36, was charged with possession of marijuana, and Essie Evans, 43, was charged with violation of probation, possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
All three lived in Titusville.