In what could be the largest bust of its kind in its history, the Tallahassee Police Department said it seized nearly $1.8 million worth of illegal drugs as the result of a months-long narcotics investigation.
The department showcased the work of officers that led to the arrest of a 42-year-old year old, alleged to be involved in large-scale drug trafficking.
The depth of the investigation was made clear as police laid out two tables of drug paraphernalia, guns and nearly $30,000 in cash. There were a number of a gallon bags, meant to Christopher Gillum, a 45-year-old former North Carolina deputy, was arrested in Destin, Florida, after authorities uncovered his plot for a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Gillum at a hotel, recovering a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition from his room.
Gillum was taken into custody on a charge of making terroristic threats sought by Louisiana authorities. Information obtained by the Sheriff’s Office indicated Gillum planned a mass shooting in New Orleans, followed by “suicide by cop,” and had expressed interest in “harming black people.”
His arrest occurred just before the start of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest), which draws 400,000 attendees. Organizers issued a statement thanking law enforcement for protecting the community.
The investigation began when Gillum’s family reported him missing in North Carolina due to a history of self-harm, possession of a Glock, and expressing interest in harming African-American people. An official from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office said Gillum fled the state before police could secure paperwork for his involuntary psychiatric commitment.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office used the Flock LPR system to locate Gillum after receiving intelligence of his presence. Upon apprehension, deputies recovered the handgun and ammunition from his hotel room. “This disturbing case highlights how technology like FLOCK [cameras] and strong partnerships between agencies can help prevent potential violence and bring wanted fugitives into custody safely before a tragedy could occur,” the Okaloosa County sheriff said.
Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail pending extradition to Louisiana. Louisiana State Police and the FBI are investigating, noting there are "no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana" at this time.
hold leaves from a yard, filled with drugs. In other bags were marijuana plants and a variety of pills.
"What you see on the table is what was moving through our community. Every ounce here had the potential to harm families within Tallahassee and today, because of the work of our officers, it won't," TPD Chief Lawrence Revell said.
"Let me be clear about what this means for our community: These are trafficking level quantities. This is the kind of volume that fuels addiction, violence and – in the case of fentanyl – death."
The investigation took place over several weeks, from February to March, as detectives investigated narcotics activity tied to a residence on Folsom Road.
Once they identified the main suspect, detectives determined that he was "making frequent out of state trips, consistent with resupplying illegal narcotics."
He was traveling across state lines to get his supply and was not always in Tallahassee. Their Vice analyst was able to utilize historical hits in Flock to perform a forecast analysis to determine the next likely time the suspect would be in town to serve the search warrant. Flock custom hot list alerts were a big factor in the tracking process as well.
TPD seized:
- Approximately 14 kilograms of cocaine
- Approximately 177 pounds of marijuana
- Approximately 11 pounds of MDMA
- Approximately 66 grams of fentanyl
- Approximately 150 grams of synthetic cathinones
- Approximately 8 ounces of methamphetamine
- Six firearms
- More than $30,000 in cash
- Packaging materials consistent with drug distribution.
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