Thousands of dollars worth of stolen property recovered in Fort Walton Beach drug bust

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (WKRG) — On May 8, 2020, a drug bust was conducted at 44 Cape Drive NW in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

There had been a previous investigation by the Street Crime Unit (SCU) at this location when a tip came in that accelerated the investigation. Seven arrests were made.

The seven arrests include:

• James Balazs (41) of Pensacola – resisting an officer without violence.
• Tabitha Benton (34) of Fort Walton Beach – possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
• Michael Hall (37) of Crestview – possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Brian Kipp (31) of Mary Esther – theft of a license plate, possession of a legend drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Cassie Moore (34) of Fort Walton Beach – child neglect and possession of a legend drug.
• Justin Tipton (27) of Fort Walton Beach – possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a legend drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Donald Stain (60) of Fort Walton Beach – maintaining a nuisance narcotics residence, possession of a legend drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Recovered from the site includes a stolen firearm, illegal drugs, and approximately $8,000 in stolen property. An additional $20,000 in stolen property was recovered due to the continued investigation of the SCU.

Several agencies are now continuously working on this case.

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