Bevely Hills resident charged with murder in drug overdose death of Inverness man
Gromling's muigshot courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County, Florida - On October 20, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office arrested 30 year-old John Dylan Gromling of Beverly Hills, Florida, as the result of an investigation into the overdose death of 53 year-old Bruce William Payne of Inverness, Florida
Gromling was charged with first-degree felony murder as the result of unlawful distribution of fentanyl, with his bond set at none. At the time of his arrest, Gromling was already in custody at the Citrus County Detention Facility on drug related charges.
On August 15, 2022, the agency responded to an Inverness residence due to the report of a deceased person. Deputies found the body of Bruce Payne in a shed on the property. Near his body, deputies located drug paraphernalia that tested positive for fentanyl, an extremely powerful, often deadly, opioid.
"With this arrest, we demonstrate our commitment to the safety of Citrus County residents," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "We will continue to target drug dealers in an ongoing effort to make our community the safest in Florida...Detective Slingerland and the members of CCSO's Tactical Impact Unit exemplify how our office will continue to support the...initiative on combatting the opioid epidemic in Florida."
Due to the death potentially being a fentanyl overdose, detectives with the agency's Tactical Impact Unit (see * below) worked with Detective Dan Slingerland of the agency's Major Crimes Unit to identify Gromling as the person who provided Payne with the lethal dose of Fentanyl.
On September 15, 2022, the Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the cause of Payne's death was a combined drug toxicity of fentanyl and alcohol. This, combined with other evidence gathered by detectives, resulted in Gromling's arrest.
*About the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Tactical Impact Unit: The Tactical Impact Unit responsibilities include narcotics investigations, street-level reverse stings, regular checks for narcotics in schools and traffic interdiction. The unit coordinates and assists other organizations and departments in combating street-level drug crimes. The unit's detectives identify, investigate, and infiltrate street-level to mid-level narcotics dealers and their organizations within Citrus County. They work closely with other units within the Bureau of Special Investigations as well as local, state, and federal authorities.