Code board finds 1721 Northwest 55th Street a nuisance after police narcotics investigation

The City of Miami Code Enforcement Board found 1721 Northwest 55th Street responsible for a public nuisance after testimony that confidential informants and surveillance showed repeated hand-to-hand narcotics transactions at the property and a subsequent search produced suspected controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.

At the hearing, Shirlon McWater, an attorney appearing for owner Danny Felton, entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. The city presented Sergeant Paulo De Nery of the City of Miami Police Department’s Special Investigations/Narcotics unit as its primary witness. Sergeant De Nery described multiple controlled buys by a confidential informant in April and May 2024, and said surveillance had shown “hand-to-hand transactions indicative of narcotics sales.” He testified that a search warrant executed May 16, 2024 produced contraband the officers cataloged as 12 baggies of suspected fentanyl, 33 baggies of suspected MDMA, 78 baggies of suspected rock cocaine, six baggies of suspected marijuana, U.S. currency, scales, jars and cell phones; two people on the premises — identified in the record as Jason Henry and Tavares Andrews — were arrested at the time.

McWater told the board her client disputed ownership knowledge of the activity at the house and asked for time to consult witnesses; the hearing officer denied a private hallway interview and proceeded with testimony, noting the board’s role is limited to whether the nuisance ordinance’s elements are met.

Based on the city’s complaint materials, the signed search warrant and the officer’s testimony, the board voted to find the property a nuisance and ordered standard remedial conditions. The board’s order requires the owner to meet with the Neighborhood Resource Officer within one week; remove landscaping that interferes with sight lines; provide and execute a trespass affidavit within one week; install no-trespass signage within one month; provide adequate lighting within 30 days; and furnish a tenant roster with vehicle information if the property is occupied. The board reset the matter for 60 days for status (reset date announced as June 25). The board’s action was made by motion and approved by the members present.

The city’s prosecutor referenced the municipal nuisance provision cited in the complaint (listed in the hearing as 46-1, subsection 2) and the search-warrant affidavit signed by a judge. The board record does not attribute criminal charges to the owner; the proceeding is an administrative nuisance hearing focused on the property itself.

The hearing record preserves the not-guilty plea entered by counsel for Danny Felton and the officer’s testimony about the controlled buys and the items seized. The board’s order imposes time-limited remedial steps and returns the matter to calendar for compliance review.