Alachua Man Arrested After Police Conduct Undercover Drug Operation, Could be Sentenced to Over 100 Years in Prison if Guilty
Earlier this week, the Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force (GACDTF) arrested Walter Gerardo Gonzalez, 28, on several felonies related to the distribution of narcotics.
Gonzalez has been charged in two cases. In the first, he is charged with a first-degree felony count of cocaine trafficking and using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
In the second case, Gonzalez faces three first-degree felony counts of drug trafficking (fentanyl oxycodone and meth) and four other less serious felonies, which include possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
If found guilty of all charges, Gonzalez could be sentenced to over 100 years in prison. He has served three prior prison sentences in Florida.
Further information on the second case isn’t currently available on the court records website. The arrest report from the first case is available.
The first case is consistent with an undercover operation conducted by GACDTF, the arrest report shows.
Case Agent Mike McKivigan reported that he met with GACDTF members and “the CS” at an “undisclosed location.” CS may stand for something along the lines of Confidential Source, but the report doesn’t explicitly state what it's an acronym for.
At McKivigan’s direction, the CS contacted Gonzalez on WhatsApp. Gonzalez previously gave the CS his number “for the purpose of facilitating drug purchases,” the arrest report states. Gonzalez agreed to meet the CS at what the arrest report describes as a "neutral location.”
“I gave the CS prerecorded U.S. currency which are good and lawful funds from the GACDTF,” reported McKivigan.
According to the arrest report, detectives searched the CS and their vehicle until McKivigan was confident the CS possessed “no contraband.”
The CS was monitored with audio/video recording while he drove to the location of the drug deal. The CS met with Gonzalez and they completed the drug deal. Gonzalez reportedly gave the CS a trafficking quantity of cocaine.
Following the transaction, McKivigan and other GACDTF detectives followed the CS and they regrouped at “the undisclosed meet location,” the arrest report states. The CS and their vehicle were again searched by law enforcement. The CS positively identified Gonzalez to the police as the man who sold him cocaine.
The report was filed on Wednesday. McKivigan noted that further charges were pending after a search warrant was served at Gonzalez’s residence, likely leading to the second case.
Judge Adam Lee set Gonzalez’s bond at $350,000. He doesn’t yet have a bond for the second case, jail booking records show.
Gonzalez indicated that he intends to hire private counsel, court records show.
