News and Investigations

On Monday, April 24, 2017, Polk County Sheriff's undercover detectives arrested 30-year-old Omar Palencia (DOB 8/15/1986) of Davenport, who is in the country illegally, and charged him with:

• Trafficking in meth over 400 grams (F-C)
• Trafficking in meth 28-200 grams (F-1)
• 2 counts possession of vehicle used to traffic drugs (F-2)
• 2 counts possession of drug paraphernalia (M-1) 

According to the affidavit, Omar delivered three pieces of pottery to PCSO undercover detectives, all of which were coated with a dried powered/crystalline paste made of methamphetamine. Omar had the illegal items shipped to Florida, with the intent of "cooking" the meth out of the pottery to sell it. The total weight of the meth concealed within the pottery is well over 200 grams, which is the threshold for a trafficking amount. 

According to the suspect, the amount of meth concealed within the pottery would have "cooked out" to 10 kilos, with a street value of $600,000. 

When detectives placed Omar under arrest, he had two pieces of broken pottery in his pocket, containing the meth "paste," that he told detectives he was using for personal use. That amount of meth totaled 101 grams. 

He was booked into the Polk County Jail, where he is being held on no bond for the trafficking charges. He will also be placed on an ICE hold. Omar has four previous arrests in the U.S. - for burglary, two DUI's, and driving without a valid DL.

"You can see the lengths drug dealers go to, to get their illegal product out on the street. Omar Palencia will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and thanks to minimum mandatory sentencing laws, he should be out of the drug dealing business for quite some time. Our detectives work hard every day to keep illegal drugs off our streets." - Grady Judd, Sheriff