A Cape Coral man still being sought after a recent undercover investigation has made the Fort Myers Police Department’s “most wanted” list.
Steven Rose, 28, whose last known address is 905 S.W. 52nd St., is wanted for sale and possession of a controlled substance, according to officials with the FMPD. Rose made the wanted list with six others, of which four are also tied to the multi-agency Operation Winter Storm announced in March.
Undercover officers targeted street- and mid-level drug dealers for months during the drug investigation, buying more than 1,000 grams of cocaine from 24 individuals. On March 11, officials announced the arrests of 18 people on a variety of charges from trafficking in or selling cocaine, to possession.
With the arrests, officials announced that 18 others were still wanted in connection to Operation Winter Snow. Eight had been arrested and charged as of Thursday, according to the Lee County Jail booking records. Besides Rose, those sought after the operation who also made the wanted list are:
— Marisa Hathaway, 41, of Fort Myers, for sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of cocaine.
— Donte Dorisca, 32, of Fort Myers, for sale of cocaine, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.
— Terrence Hodge, 32, of Lehigh Acres, for sale of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
— Wendie Howard, 29, of Fort Myers, for sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of cocaine.
Craig Hewitt, 30, of Fort Myers, and Shirlene Williams, 59, also made the wanted list. Hewitt is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and Williams is wanted for domestic violence felony battery.
Eric Thompson, 34, whose last known address is 2328 S.W. 19th Ave., is not on the wanted list, but he was being sought in connection to Operation Winter Snow. According to records, Thompson had not been charged as of Thursday.
According to officials with the FMPD, releasing most wanted lists allows the community to actively participate in making their neighborhoods safer places to live.
“The police department is only as successful as the community allowed us to be,” Fort Myers Police Chief Doug Baker said in a prepared statement. “We need more citizens to help us put criminals in jail and report suspicious activity.”
The FMPD has many programs in place to encourage citizen participation, including the Violent Crime Task Force, which focuses on removing weapons from city streets with intelligence gathered from citizens and informants, and the Illegal Gun Bounty Program, which offers cash with the help of Crime Stoppers for information on any person illegally in possession of a firearm.
Those with information about the above individuals or any other crime can contact the Fort Myers Police Department at 321-7700 and Crime Stoppers at (800) 780-TIPS (8477), or text at tip to CRIMES (274637) and use the keyword FMPD. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
To see an updated wanted list, visit: www.fmpolice.com.