Largo Pizzeria A Front For Drug House, Says Pinellas Sheriff

LARGO, FL ? Some customers at Brickhouse Pizza in Largo may have been getting a lot more than pepperoni with their pizza.

The owner of the pizzeria has been accused of operating a drug house out of the restaurant, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

During a search of the restaurant Tuesday, narcotics detectives said they found 11 kinds of illegal drugs.

The sheriff?s office said narcotics detectives began investigating Blerim Ljena, 49, after receiving a tip on April 14 that "a large amount of drugs" was being sold out of the Brickhouse Pizza, 1135 N Missouri Ave., Largo, owned by Ljena, according to a sheriff's report.

During the investigation, detectives established enough probable cause to obtain a search warrant, which was served Wednesday, said the sheriff's office.

Detectives found the following inside the restaurant:

• Two doses (1.4 grams) of hydrocodone
• Twenty-five doses of alprazolam
• Twenty and a half doses (2.1 grams) of morphine
• Twelve doses of lorazepam
• Twenty-seven doses (2.3 grams) of dilaudid
• Fifty-two doses (6.1 grams) of oxycodone
• Fourteen doses (1 gram) of hydromorphone
• Three hundred and sixty-four grams of methamphetamine (12.5 ounces)
• Seven grams of powder cocaine
• Four thousand and fifty-three grams of butanediol (GHB)
• Thirty-seven grams of marijuana

During the search, detectives said they also found clothing strewn throughout the restaurant and a pull-out couch that appeared to be used for sleeping.

Ljena was arrested and charged with nine counts of possession of a controlled substance, five counts of trafficking amphetamine, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, one count of operating a drug house, one count of trafficking butanediol (GHB) and one count of sale or deliver of a controlled substance, according to the sheriff's report.

Ljena is being held at the Pinellas County Jail on 330,150 bail.