Intercepted calls between members of a suspected South Florida drug ring captured their surprise and fear as investigators closed in around them.
"I have a big, big, big problem," said 33-year-old Richard Paterniti.
Unaware police had wiretapped his phone, the Lake Worth Beach man told his aunt he'd been pulled over for a busted tag light and found with a "crazy amount" of drugs: 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of marijuana and 30 grams of cocaine. Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office took the drugs and sent Paterniti on his way.
"I feel like they just been watching me," Paterniti said afterward. "It all seemed like they knew exactly what they were there for."
They did. That Sept.3 traffic stop capped a six-month investigation
by state and local officials into Paterniti and two dozen others accused of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and meth through Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Broward counties.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced their arrests Tuesday during a news conference in Boynton Beach. Six of 25 suspects remain free, Uthmeier said, though he's hopeful that changes soon.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Icebreaker, began in March after undercover authorities identified Paterniti as a local drug dealer.
Authorities say he built a drug business that operated like a small family enterprise, relying on a supplier, relatives and friends to keep methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills moving even while he traveled overseas. Officers spent months buying drugs undercover, following cars and listening in on phone calls as the group discussed prices, customers, supplies and debts.
In one such call, Paterniti said he feared police would arrive at his doorstep at any moment.
"I can't keep doing this," Paterniti said. "I guess it's time to get a f***ing job."
Paterniti remains at the Palm Beach County jail in lieu of $1.55 million bail. Uthmeier said several of his suspected accomplices, if convicted, face 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentences.
"Why do we do these announcements?" Uthmeier asked Tuesday. "To put more of these knuckleheads on notice. If you want to do this dangerous stuff, if you want to jeopardize the lives of our kids, you are going to be in a dark, cold corner of a jail cell for much of the rest of your life."
Hannah Phillips covers public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'Big problem': Wiretapped calls captured alarm as drug ring unraveled
