Florida deputy posed as dead man to catch suspect now charged with murder: Sheriff

Corie Gene Phillips (Seminole County Sheriff’s Office) and the home where he was arrested in a sting operation (WBRW/YouTube screenshot)

Law enforcement authorities in Florida apprehended a 52-year-old murder suspect after a sheriff’s deputy had the novel idea to pose as a recently deceased man who had been in contact with the accused.

The unique approach led to the arrest of suspected drug dealer Corie Gene Phillips, who last week was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder resulting from the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Phillips’ arrest stems from an investigation that began on the morning of July 28, 2023. At about 9:15 a.m., deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call regarding a deceased man at a home located in the 1300 block of Kenneth Avenue in Castlebury, Florida. The residence is about 15 minutes northeast of Orlando, Florida.

The caller said he worked for the deceased man’s moving company. He further explained that the man “never locked his house,” with the caller noting that he and other colleagues would “regularly walk into his residence to get their work orders.”

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they found an adult male deceased on the floor next to the dining room table. A plate on the table contained “a small mound of a white, grainy substance,” police wrote. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl.

While authorities were at the residence, a cellphone in the home, which presumably belonged to the deceased man, rang and the caller was shown to be a person identified as “Cory G,” later identified as Phillips, per the affidavit.

The sheriff’s Digital Forensics Unit was able to get into the deceased’s phone and a deputy called the individual identified as Cory G (Phillips), but hung up immediately after the line was picked up.

“Your Affiant texted Corie Phillips, stating that the phone was not working properly after it was crushed during a moving job,” the affidavit states. “Your Affiant texted Corie Phillips multiple times asking if he was off work and if he had any ‘ice,’ a common slang term for methamphetamine. Corie Phillips did not respond to any text messages.”

However, the following day, Phillips called the phone and the detective picked and pretended to be the deceased phone owner.

“Corie Phillips stated that he was relieved to hear my voice and he was worried that (the victim) had died,” the affidavit states. “Corie Phillips stated he was worried about (the victim) because he was in ‘bad shape’ when he left him the previous night, which would have been the night of July 27, 2023. Corie Phillips stated that he figured that Tony Blake was likely sleeping the majority of the day after the night that they had.

The detective on June 29, 2023, again contacted Phillips and pretended to be the deceased. The detective played the sound of a large diesel truck engine in the background to disguise his voice and asked Phillips for an “eight ball” of “ice,” which is the street term for about 3.5 grams of meth. Authorities then asked Phillips if he could drop off the drugs at the deceased’s home.

A sting operation was set up and Phillips was apprehended in the driveway of the home. Inside his backpack, authorities said Phillips had more than 6 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl.

When questioned, investigators said Phillips confirmed that he sold meth to the victim on the night of his death.

An autopsy confirmed that the victim died from the “combined drug toxicity” of meth, fentanyl, and alcohol with the meth and fentanyl being a “substantial factor in producing death.”

Phillips is currently being held in Seminole County Jail without bond, records show. He is scheduled to appear for his arraignment on June 18.

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