News and Investigations

A family with a long history of illegal narcotics sales in Winter Haven was at the center of an investigation spearheaded by multiple units within the Polk County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the Lakeland Police Department and Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

As a result of the efforts of this PCSO investigation a total of twelve people (nine adults and three juveniles) have been arrested and a variety of illegal drugs have been seized: 1,365.97 grams of methamphetamine, 980.13 grams of cocaine, 900.88 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy), 224.06 grams of fentanyl, 157.78 grams of marijuana, 8.88 grams of Oxycodone, 202 prescription pills, one pill-press, and one firearm. The total street value of the drugs seized is $139,149.00 and the amount of fentanyl seized is enough to kill 95,500 people.

"Members of the Rogers family are very well known to law enforcement and have been arrested many times over the years. They have been a cancer in the Inwood community for a long time, exposing families there to unwanted drug activity, gangs, violence, and more. We want these families to know that we're doing everything in our power to put a stop to it." - Grady Judd, Sheriff

Several members of the Rogers family, who over the years have resided in multiple residences in the area of 37th Street NW in the Inwood neighborhood, have been trafficking drugs and committing other crimes in the area since the 1980's.

On Thursday, June 22, 2023, the PCSO's Organized Crime Unit executed three simultaneous search warrants in Inwood. Assisting in these searches were: SWAT units from the PCSO, Highlands County Sheriff's Office, and Lakeland Police Department, and the following PCSO units: Aviation, K-9, Homicide Unit, Narcotics, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Violent Gang Investigative Task Force, Tactical Drug Unit (TDU), Special Investigations and Analysis, Fraud, Computer Crimes, Tech Services, Vice, and Intel.

The search warrants were executed at the following locations: 1303 37th Street NW, 3701 Avenue M NW, and 1282 37th Street NW.

The family operation is headed-up by 38-year old Kenneth "Pop" Rogers. He was already in the Polk County Jail prior to Thursday's search warrants, having been arrested on April 11th on a warrant. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of 15.87 grams of cocaine and $21,305 in U.S. currency. His place of residence is at 1282 37th Street NW.

Kenneth Pop" Rogers has a prior criminal history consisting of 62 felonies and 22 misdemeanors, and he's been to state prison four times. He was arrested in 2020 during the PCSO's Operation Hot Wire, and was out on bond from that when he was arrested again in April (click here to read that news release: https://tinyurl.com/mvmkza4s).

During the search at 1303 37th St NW, detectives recovered: 152.5 grams of marijuana, 311.15 grams of cocaine, 118.6 grams of methamphetamine, and .47 grams of fentanyl. Three people were arrested in the home:

- 69-year old Odia Rogers (father of Kenneth Pop' Rogers). Charged with: Trafficking Methamphetamine (F1), Possession of Structure to Traffic Narcotics (F2), Use of 2-Way Device to Commit a Felony (F3), Possession of Fentanyl (F3), Possession of Marijuana (M1), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). His prior criminal history consists of 14 felonies and six misdemeanors, and he's been to state prison once.

- 31-year old Tameka Rogers. (Daughter of Odia Rogers) Charged with: Trafficking Methamphetamine (F1), Trafficking Cocaine (F1), Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell (F3), Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). Her prior criminal history consists of five felonies and three misdemeanors.

- 59-year old Theresa Prince. (Girlfriend of Odia Rogers) Charged with: Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Sell (F2), Possession of Marijuana (M1), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). Her prior criminal history consists of one felony and two misdemeanors.

During the search at 3701 Avenue M NW, detectives recovered: 425.73 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy), 277.32 grams of cocaine, 198.94 grams of fentanyl, 8.88 grams of Oxycodone, 76 Alprazolam pills, and a Ruger P65 9mm handgun. The only person arrested at this locations was:

- 39-year old Rafel Rogers (son of Odia Rogers). Charged with: Armed Trafficking in Cocaine (FL), Armed Trafficking in Oxycodone (FL), Trafficking in Fentanyl (F1), Trafficking in MDMA (F1), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F2), Possession of a Structure for Trafficking Narcotics (F2), Possession of Alprazolam (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). His prior criminal history consists of 43 felonies and 33 misdemeanors, and he's been to state prison twice.

During the search of the residence at 1282 37th Street NW, detectives recovered: 359.93 grams of cocaine, 475.15 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy), 5.26 grams of marijuana, and .18 grams of fentanyl. Additionally detectives located a mechanized pill press machine which is suspected of being used to manufacture fentanyl and MDMA pills. Arrested at the residence were:

- 21-year old Jordan Rogers (grandson of Odia Rogers, son of Rafel). Charged with: Trafficking in cocaine (F1), Trafficking MDMA (F1), Possession of a Structure to Sell Narcotics with Minors Present (F1), Possession of a Structure to Traffic Narcotics (F2), Possession of Fentanyl (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).

- 16-year old female. Charged with: Possession of Marijuana (M1) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).

- 16-year old LaEricka Bryant. Charged with: Trafficking in Cocaine (F1), Trafficking in MDMA (F1), Possession of Fentanyl (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).

- 15-year old Jeriah Wells. Charged with: Possession of Cocaine (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).

Two other men were arrested on April 20th. Both men are involved with the Rogers family operation and are still currently in the Polk County Jail. Those men are:

- 32-year old Gerard Hall. Charged with: Trafficking Methamphetamine (F1, 4-counts), Possession of a Structure/Vehicle for Trafficking Narcotics (F2, 4-counts), Use of 2-Way Device to Commit a Felony (F3, 3-counts), Possession of Cocaine (F3), Possession of MDMA (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1, 3-counts). His prior criminal history consists of 22 felonies and 12 misdemeanors with one stay in state prison.

- 36-year old Alpavin Tucker. Charged with: Trafficking in Methamphetamine (F1), Trafficking in Amphetamine (F1), Trafficking in Heroin (F1), Possession of Cocaine (F2), Possess a Structure/Vehicle for Trafficking Drugs (F2), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1), and Violation of Probation. His prior criminal history consists of 17 felonies and 25 misdemeanors and has been to state prison twice.

One other Rogers family member, 28-year old Dominique Rogers, was arrested by the PCSO during a May 24, 2023 death investigation in which a 19-year old female died from a possible drug overdose at another residence on 37th Street NW. Dominique Rogers was at the residence when deputies arrived and he re-entered the crime scene and began picking up items after being ordered not to do so. He was charged at that time with Resisting/Obstruction (M1), and the death investigation is still open.

On June 14, 2023, Dominique Rogers was arrested by Manatee County and charged with two counts of Second Degree Murder for a crime that occurred in their jurisdiction.