Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Violent Career Felon Apprehended




December 5, 2018

On Friday afternoon, November 30, 2018 the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Uniformed Patrol Division, Drug Task Force (DTF) and Tactical Response Unit (TRU) executed arrest warrants on a violent career felon in the Morriston area of Levy County. DTF Commander Lt. Duane Dykstra and DTF Investigator Rob Bowers had been working for several weeks developing intelligence as they worked toward the safe execution of pending arrest warrants on Courtney Harvey (11-19-88) of Williston. 

Harvey, who has a lengthy criminal history and is designated in Florida as a violent felony offender, was wanted for Burglary with Battery, Fleeing from Law Enforcement and numerous other charges. Harvey’s history of violence coupled with recent intelligence developed in this case identified he often carried a firearm while selling drugs in Morriston.

Harvey, confronted by multiple law enforcement officers, attempted to flee. Deputies were able to surround him and he surrendered without a fight. The vehicle he attempted to flee in was seized and towed to the Sheriff’s Office impound yard. 

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018, DTF Investigator Rob Bowers executed a search warrant for the vehicle’s interior. Investigator Bowers and Lt. Dykstra searched the vehicle and found a wide array of illegal narcotics to include suspected fentanyl, the deadly tranquilizer that has flooded the streets of America and claimed many lives.

He is currently being held at the Levy County Detention Facility in lieu of a $555,580.00 bond from the pending warrants served on him this past Friday.

Sheriff McCallum who was present at the scene on Friday said, “I am extremely proud of the professionalism and expertise our members exhibited during the execution of these arrest warrants. The planning and time invested in gathering the intelligence allowed for a violent felon to be taken into custody and removed from our streets, and no one was injured. This operation was a huge success.”  

Additional charges based on the findings of the search warrant were filed on Harvey on the afternoon of December 4, 2018.  The following is a list of these charges:

1) Opium or Derivative Trafficking 4 grams or more (Fentanyl)
2) Synthetic Narcotic Possess w/intent to sell (MDMD/Molly)
3) Marijuana Possess w/intent to sell
4) Methamphetamine Possess w/intent to sell
5) Opium or derivative Possess w/intent to sell (Buprenorphine)
6) Keep shop or Vehicle for Drugs
7) Possess Drug equipment (Digital scale, and clean baggies)

Harvey was formally advised of these charges on December 5, 2018 during first appearance. The Honorable Judge Browning has assigned an additional bond in the amount of $261,000.00 for these new charges. The total combined bond for Courtney Harvey is $816,580.00.