CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has made significant strides in dismantling a large-scale narcotics trafficking and organized crime network through its Tactical Impact Unit (TIU). Dubbed Operation “Flip the Script,” the investigation has already resulted in multiple arrests and the seizure of substantial quantities of narcotics, firearms, and other evidence, with more discoveries anticipated as the case unfolds.
Operation “Flip the Script” was launched after TIU detectives received credible intelligence suggesting that Tri-County Medical Center, LLC, located in Crystal River, was illegally operating as a pain-management clinic.
Investigators discovered that the clinic distributed a staggering 39,905 controlled substance prescriptions, mostly opioid-based medications, totaling over 3.4 million pills, into the community.
The investigation revealed that the clinic’s owner and manager, Ernest Bernard Scriven, orchestrated an illegal scheme in collaboration with an employee, Kendra Lynn Johnson. The duo was involved in distributing prescriptions for Oxycodone and Methadone to individuals who had never been examined by a doctor, in exchange for cash payments.
Undercover operatives from TIU and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) secured multiple prescriptions for trafficking quantities of Oxycodone without ever visiting the clinic. On June 12, 2024, federal and state search warrants were executed at Tri-County Medical Center and Scriven’s residence in Lecanto, resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of drugs, firearms, and further evidence linking Scriven to illicit activities.
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Notably, a search of a storage unit rented by Scriven uncovered 160 firearms, 156 of which were linked to a 2019 burglary in Hernando County. Associate David Alfonso Henriquez has been charged in connection with this burglary. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has joined the investigation.
In addition, Scriven’s sister, Shalena Tashaca Scriven, was found to have illegally received over 3,300 pills of Oxycodone and Methadone without being a legitimate patient of the clinic. She has also been arrested for her role in the trafficking scheme.
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“Shielding a limitless illicit narcotic operation behind the same laws and regulations meant to protect our citizens is despicable. Once again, our outstanding partnerships with the state and local agencies, such as the Fifth Judicial Circuit and the Tampa Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, was instrumental in bringing this case to light,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “From day one as your sheriff, my statement has been clear: ‘Illicit narcotics are not welcome in Citrus County.’ Ernest Bernard Scriven, we found you. CCSO will remain fiercely dedicated to ridding our streets of deadly narcotics. I am beyond proud of the effort the TIU put behind shutting down Scriven’s operation.”
The investigation is ongoing, with CCSO and its partners working to determine the full scope of the operation. The following individuals have been arrested, with additional charges pending:
- Ernest Bernard Scriven, 46:
- Racketeering (RICO)
- Trafficking in Oxycodone (3 Counts)
- Unlawful Use of a Two-way Communication Device (2 Counts)
- Trafficking in Methamphetamine
- Possession of Fentanyl
- Trafficking in Cannabis (3 Counts)
- Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon (157 Counts)
- No bond set.
- Kendra Lynn Johnson, 35:
- Trafficking in Oxycodone (6 Counts)
- Unlawful Use of a Two-way Communication Device (4 Counts)
- No bond set.
- Shalena Tashaca Scriven, 44:
- Trafficking in Oxycodone
- Conspiracy to Traffic Oxycodone
- No bond set.
- David Alfonso Henriquez, 37:
- Trafficking in Cannabis
- Grand Theft of a Firearm (156 Counts)
- No bond set.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office remains dedicated to dismantling criminal enterprises and protecting the community. Further updates will be shared as the investigation progresses. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact CCSO at 352-249-2790.
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