Toluca Lake store owner connected to biggest drug bust in Nashville history, police say
Mailbox Toluca Lake and its owner, both staples of the Los Angeles County neighborhood, have been implicated in Nashville's biggest drug bust.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said the nondescript mom-and-pop shop, known for providing secure mailboxes and herbal remedies for actors, was the center of the methamphetamine distribution operation between the two cities.
"We believe that members of this drug operation used addresses of unsuspecting local residents to which the parcels would be shipped and then quickly retrieved right after the delivery trucks drove away," Nashville Police Chief John Drake said.
Prosecutors charged 13 people connected to the alleged operation, including the store's owner Jonathan Kramer. In addition to Kramer, three other Californians have been charged including the accused ringleader Francisco Serrano, who allegedly sourced the meth shipments sent to Nashville, according to police. He was extradited to Nashville in November 2024.
Kramer was charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possessing meth for resale.
Investigators were first alerted by FedEx in late 2022 about suspicious packages sent from Mailbox Toluca Lake. In the initial phases of the investigations following the FedEx tip, police seized more than 260 pounds of meth. Police said suspects would sometimes use rental cars to pick up the packages, which detectives said contained meth. Detectives said more shipments continued to pass through the store as they tracked down the suspects.
During the investigation, police believe the operation moved roughly 5,000 pounds of meth between California and Nashville.
"This investigation exemplifies how collaboration with law enforcement partners produces the greatest success in safeguarding our communities against criminal elements," said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Daly. "Middle Tennessee is a safer place today because of the dedication and perseverance by so many of our law enforcement partners."
