‘Alarming’ power bill leads to discovery of Lakeland ‘cranker colony,’ Judd says

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 11 suspects after a burglary investigation at an active duty service member’s vacant house in Lakeland.

On Sunday, detectives were contacted by the house owner, a U.S. Air Force member currently serving in North Dakota.

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The man contacted police after noticing an unusual spike in his electricity bill and requested that they check on his property in South Lakeland.

At the scene, deputies said they found Brindy Matos, 39, living in a shed on the vacant property.

Inside the shed detectives also located several of the victim’s things that Matos had stolen from the main house as well as her own drugs and paraphernalia.

Another suspect fled the scene upon deputies’ arrival. He was later identified as Matos’ boyfriend, Anthony Maddox, Jr., 31.

Detectives said upon searching the victim’s property, they discovered that all of the locked buildings on the property had been broken into.

A 2007 black Toyota Cruiser belonging to the victim’s mother was also missing along with a John Deere riding lawn mower and a golf cart.

An investigation led detectives to a nearby property that was littered with raw sewage and solid waste as well as numerous other environmental and health hazards.

Detectives said they detained five more people who they charged with environmental crimes and several of them also had drugs and paraphernalia in their possession.

Detectives were also able to locate Maddox on the property hiding in a garage behind some shelves.

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Several of the suspects were identified as being involved in the theft and selling of the vehicles and household items belonging to the active duty member and they, along with Maddox, were detained by Polk County deputies.

“If you’ve never ever seen a cranker colony, now you have. That’s right, a group of crankers all live together, and guess what they were doing? They were breaking into a house, oh they weren’t just breaking into a house. They devastated the house. They gutted the house,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.

For context, “crank” is a slang term for street methamphetamine.

The suspects and their charges are as follows:

• Brindy Matos, 39, charged with burglary, possession of meth, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Anthony Maddox, Jr., 31, was charged with burglary, trespassing, resisting arrest, and he had an outstanding warrant in Hernando County.

• Dana Pereira, 47, was charged with violating Florida litter law, possession of meth, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, operating an unpermitted landfill, creating a public nuisance, and possession of paraphernalia

• Michael Stone, 37, was charged with violating Florida litter law, operating an unpermitted landfill, creating a public nuisance, possession of meth, burglary, felony petit theft, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

• Jonathan Smith, 21, was charged with Violating Florida litter law, operating an unpermitted landfill, and 3 counts of creating a public nuisance

• Beverly Reese, 44, was charged with violating Florida litter law, possession of meth, operating an unpermitted landfill, creating a public nuisance, keeping a public nuisance structure for drug use, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Dwayne Harris, 36, was charged with violating Florida litter law, possession of meth, operating an unpermitted landfill, creating a public nuisance, keeping a public nuisance structure for drug use, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Austin Sirah, 33, was charged with possession of meth, violation of probation, possession of drug paraphernalia, and maintaining a vehicle for drug use

• Angela Keene, 53, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and maintaining a vehicle for drug use

• Troy Bumkens, 41, was charged with possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Kayla Strickland, 25, was charged with possession of meth, possession of prescription drug without prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia

The Air Force member returned to Polk County to assist with reclaiming and identifying his stolen property which valued over $50,000 in assets.

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