Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd turned heads by sporting a $50,000 gold chain seized from drug traffickers, a bold move to spotlight a major bust in Polk County, Florida. During a press conference on August 22, 2025, Judd announced the success of “Operation Capital City Crackdown,” a year-long investigation that dismantled a Bartow-based drug trafficking network. The operation led to 32 arrests, the seizure of $150,000 in drugs, firearms, cash, and flashy jewelry, including the gold chain and bracelet Judd wore to make a point.
The investigation targeted a criminal network led by Nathaniel “Nate” Donald, described as Bartow’s drug “kingpin.” The group dealt in marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl, crack cocaine, MDMA, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and ketamine.
Sheriff Grady Judd highlighted the human cost of their actions, pointing to the death of 65-year-old Irene Anderson, who died of a cocaine overdose in September 2024 after buying drugs from supplier Troy Cortez Walker. Anderson collapsed on her way to church the morning after the purchase, and Walker now faces a first-degree murder charge for her death.
Judd’s decision to wear the seized jewelry, which he called “drip,” was a deliberate jab at the suspects.
“I got their drip, I got their money, we got their guns, we got their dope,”
He said, emphasizing that the profits from drug sales, which funded lavish lifestyles, were now in law enforcement’s hands.
The operation involved multiple agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, using wiretaps and search warrants to build the case.
The bust also uncovered the suspects’ extensive criminal histories, with a combined 554 felonies and 394 misdemeanors. Judd stressed the broader impact, noting that drug trafficking fuels violence and addiction in communities. The seized jewelry, valued at $50,000, including the prominent Sheriff Judd gold chain, served as a symbol of the operation’s success and a warning to others.
