Speeds Grocery Manager Arrested
July 25, 2017
A quick search of the Tallahassee On-Line Statistics (TOPS) Program shows eighty-one (81) incidents investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department alone at Speeds Grocery over the last six months. With those numbers in mind, the Special Investigations Section at TPD began to investigate the business utilizing several surveillance techniques over the course of several months. With the assistance of the Division of Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco, the investigation revealed signs of illegal drug sales from within the business. Using the information gathered, the investigators secured a search warrant for the business signed by the Honorable Judge Smith on July 18, 2017.
On July 24, 2017 TPD investigators served the search warrant at the store, located at 801 Floral Street. During the service of the search warrant, Chirayo Patel was the only person located behind the front counter upon entry and by all accounts is the manager of the store. As the business was searched by the officers, evidence of illegal drug sales was collected including cannabis packaged for sale, which was found in an "employee only" area. The officers also located evidence of a second hand cellphone sales shop although no paperwork or documentation could be located to show Mr. Patel held a dealer license for a cell phone sales location.
Mr. Patel was also the focus of search warrant served by TPD at Speeds Grocery in October of 2016. During that search warrant, Mr. Patel was educated on who he would need to contact in order to get proper licensing and operate the cell phone sales shop business properly. Based on that information, there is reasonable belief Mr. Patel knew he was operating a second hand sales shop. At the conclusion of the search warrant, Mr. Patel was taken into custody and charged with Maintaining a Shop where Dangerous Drugs are kept and Secondhand Dealer Violation. He was transported to the Leon County Jail for processing.
Arrested:
Chirayo Patel, White Male, DOB: 12/17/88
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