Lobbyist Ben Parks, 6 others arrested in major drug bust in Tallahassee

Parks

Florida lobbyist Ben Parks was arrested Wednesday on six drug-related charges, including maintaining a drug house.

Along with Parks, 62; Robin Bates, 45; John Elkins, 55; Daniel Oneal, 28; Demestric Peoples, 40; Camellia Prescott, 25; Ashley Ratcliff, 32; and Evan Welbon, 29, were arrested on a variety of charges, including possession of methamphetamine, three counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia. Bates was also charged with resisting a police officer serving a search warrant.

According to David Northway, public information officer for the Tallahassee Police Department, a search warrant was executed Wednesday at 6279 Whittondale Drive in the Ox Bottom neighborhood. The Leon County Property Appraiser website indicates Parks owns the home.

A neighbor of Parks tells FloridaPolitics.com that Parks was allowing recently released jail and prison inmates to stay at the home.

Parks is a familiar face to Capitol insiders. For two decades, he was the director of State Legislative Affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau. In 2012, Parks hung out his own shingle, signing up clients such as Florida Crystals and the Florida Agritourism Association. Perhaps not coincidentally, Parks was not registered to lobby for the 2016 Legislative Session.

Parks, a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, bonded out of the Leon County Jail Wednesday evening.