biggest drug bust in west virginia

Low 34F. Were not talking about $5 and $600 deals, were talking hundreds of thousands of dollars, you know, $20,000 in the trunk of somebodys car in a gym bag behind a local restaurant, Terwilliger said. While this mass-arrest initiative is certainly a step in the right direction, we are well aware that countless additional individuals remained involved in the sale and distribution of narcotics in our respective counties.. A grand jury charged 39 co-conspirators with 106 counts for their involvement in an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy that began in March 2016, according to the indictment. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Nelson County's Commonwealth's Attorney Daniel Rutherford said this comes from a . The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. The unemployment rate comes in at a scary 11.0%, while even people who find jobs have to make due with a median income of just $36,793. The operation was a joint effort between the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, Ripley Police Department, U.S. I tried to use the wire fraud to get everybody, the pharmacies and the doctors. Today's Outlook. The policeman said it fell under the definition of wire fraud. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. This big drug bust is similar to the others because it's linked to -- you guessed it -- cocaine. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force . Chris McGreal is the author of American Overdose, The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The Wellness Center was churning out so many opioid prescriptions that the fax machine couldnt keep up.. a multi-state drug trafficking organization that mostly . But at the front end were thousands of pharmacies dispensing the pills, and among the pharmacists were profiteers. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. All Rights Reserved. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Bola Tinubu, the declared winner of Nigerias presidential election, appeals for unity, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, A 5,000-year-old restaurant highlights Iraqs archaeological renaissance, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. Murphy told CNN affiliate WSB that it is by far the biggest heroin seizure in Georgia's . Smith went and watched. n Richwood area: Daniel Copen, Lola Copen, A.J. The longest drug-smuggling tunnel ever was discovered on April 20, 2016, spanning the U.S.-Mexico border. $18 million, Antioch, Calif. One California raid in 2014 remains one of the biggest drug busts the U.S. has ever seen. Kenneth Eversole, 44, was arrested late afternoon Dec. 1, when law enforcement from a multitude of agencies conducted a search-and-seizure warrant on his residence at 197 Mozelle St. in Keyser. The pharmacist persuaded his assistant at the drugstore, Debra Justice, to set up a medical clinic just outside Kermit and they recruited a doctor more than an hour away at Marshall Universitys medical school, Dr John Tiano. Low 54F. Reach Joel Ebert at joel.ebert@dailymailwv.com 304-348-4843 or joel.ebert@dailymailwv.com or follow @joelebert29 on Twitter. ROANOKE, Va. - The combined efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have resulted in the arrests of 13 individuals over the past weeks connected to a variety of drug . It doesnt give the opportunity for information to get spread throughout the illegal drug community, he said. Be Proactive. Up until his arrest, Ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more than filling prescriptions written by doctors. Sheriff Mellinger said their target list had 113 names, with outstanding warrants, on it and their goal was to cross all the of them out with a two-day operation. Don't Miss it! When we saw that the largest operation in the past was 92, we immediately said why not shoot for 100, said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger. Justin Byrd, 28, charged with a state misdemeanor count of possession heroin. Hurley Drug was dispensing nearly as fast. The arrests were part of the Project Huntington initiative Stuart announced on March 15 to involve more federal prosecutors in a crackdown on gun and violent crime and drug trafficking in Huntington. In 2016, a major drug distributor, McKesson abruptly ended its contract with Tug Valley Pharmacy when West Virginias attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, filed a lawsuit against the company accusing it of recklessly distribution millions of pills across the state. Then right in the middle of this drug trafficking organisation, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it. May 15, 2021 - 5:00 pm. However, what they did is they talked to the pharmacists and told them they couldnt do that any more, he said. In my 37 years, that is the biggest stop and the biggest amount of drugs seized from a one-vehicle stop that Ive ever seen.. As a landmark federal opioid trial nears completion, West Virginia communities are demanding $2.5 billion in compensation. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. of marijuana are now off the streets in what authorities say could be the largest drug bust in Richmond's history . You have permission to edit this article. Updated: Apr 9, 2018 / 11:04 PM EDT. Get the Jackson Star & Herald Delivered to your email everyday! On Thursday, law enforcement agencies executed the second part of the operation now leaving over 100 people arrested. Something similar was going on at the Tug Valley Pharmacy and Hurleys in Williamson. Tiano lost his medical licence. There was a lot of money being made.. By then, Smith was watching. The Jackson County Bureau of Investigations spearheaded the investigation with the aid of officers from the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, United States Marshal, Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The pharmacy bought more of the opioid than any drugstore in West Virginia or neighbouring states that year and ranked 22nd in the nation among retail pharmacies for hydrocodone purchases. The roundup, dubbed Operation Mountain Justice, was executed by the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, in coordination with the prosecuting attorneys of Fayette and Nicholas counties, as well as several local and federal law enforcement agencies. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid . Cabell County, which includes Huntington, has been hit especially hard. A and Apt. Untied States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld (center) along with Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Rachel Romano (right) and Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker (left) talks about a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that led to the arrests of 87 people in a North Central West Virginia drug bust. Be Truthful. Overall, about 120 law enforcement officials were involved in the arrests, Calhoun estimated. Chance of rain 90%. In 1995, the US Coast Guard carried out a huge drug bust off the coast of Peru, which at the time was the biggest drug bust on the high seas, though it would soon be topped. Tug Valley Pharmacy was late to the gold rush, but swiftly made up for lost time. He will be sentenced in July. Though West Virginia has had boom-and-bust cycles since, Census Bureau data shows it has lost population every year since 2012 and now has about 1.8 million residents. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet Weekly Fairmont news emailed every Thursday evening! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But plenty of prescriptions were written in his name. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. It's playing an increasing role in filling U.S. demand for super-pure meth, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other drugs, appearing in at least 35 states, a Courier Journal investigation found,. You stack those things up and a jurys finally going to say, I dont believe this.. Lets call this whole thing what it is. I hope I am wrong about what happens to him now even if he was clearly asking for it. Marshall University forced Tiano to stop moonlighting at the clinic. Some suspects switched phones regularly and used prepaid cell phones that did not need a subscribers name. According to Keyser Police Chief Jared Bruce, the officers confiscated approximately an ounce of cocaine base (crack), 10 ounces of cocaine HCL, two pounds of methamphetamine (ice / crystal meth), approximately 10,000 pressed fentanyl tablets, 150 pounds of marijuana, 327 THC vape cartridges, five firearms, three vehicles and an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Then, in a town where department stores shut years ago and traditional main street stores gave way to personal injury lawyers, a new drugstore popped up. Get the River Cities Tribune & Register Delivered to your email everyday! The doctors were careful to insist their prescriptions were filled only at pharmacies that would take the money and not ask questions. WV's largest drug bust underway Joel Ebert Aug 27, 2015 Nationally-Recognized, Quality Local Journalism.. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Mountain State's Trusted News Source.. Daily News, Sports and Events for Weston and Surrounding areas. 2. Eventually, the FBI and state police moved in on the Sav-Rite in Kermit in 2009, arresting Wooley. Published: Jan. 13, 2021 at 9:55 AM PST. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox. Daily News, Sports and Events for Marion County. Stuart said this was the largest meth bust in West Virginia history. 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The task force said the arrests occurred after investigators made hundreds of controlled purchases of narcotics and gathered evidence to substantiate the allegations before obtaining warrants. Ive been here since 1986, and this is the most narcotics Ive seen in a bust, Sheriff Ellifritz told the News & Tribune. Our culture is so messed up. The bust was executed by members of the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, State Police Beckley Detachment, FBI, ATF, and the Beckley-Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan, and Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, remain at large. BECKLEY JUNCTION, WV (WVNS) More than 1,000 grams of heroin and more than 100 grams of meth were recovered during a drug bust in Raleigh County. You have to do an investigation before you can stop something like that. racist or sexually-oriented language. A Hagerstown appliance store owner is charged with using it as a front for an illegal drug operation estimated to havehandled millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, according to federal authorities. Seized in this stop were 5 ounces of pure Fentanyl, 8 ounces of Crack Cocaine, 1 ounce of Heroin, 13 ounces of Heroin & Fentanyl mix, a 40-caliber handgun and $16,470 in U.S. currency. Its a potential game changer for Huntington and southern West Virginia, Stuart said. Twenty minutes drive to the north, the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in the village of Kermit, population 280 and falling, was outstripping them both. These days, the town has shrunk to 9,889 residents and the economic prospects have dimmed. or anything. Its hard to believe that was allowed.. But as word spread and people came from hundreds of miles around, so the drugstores struggled to meet demand. Support local journalism. According to indictments . . Law enforcement officials are encouraging members of the public who have information concerning the suspects involved to contact authorities. The suspects attempted to thwart law enforcement surveillance using Facebook, and encrypted communications apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp, according to the indictment. Among those arrested were the ringleaders, one in Huntington and two in Detroit, of a group that had been operating in Huntington for nearly 15 years. READ MORE: Trump supporter charged with assault after blowing on women near Virginia Trump club. You have permission to edit this article. Don't Miss it! No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Gross sales surged above $6.5m. By Marsha Chwalik. Massive West Australian drug bust as close to 100kg of meth reportedly found stuffed in pillows stopped at Fremantle port. WVU faculty weigh in on aftermath of chemical spill, Clay County native honored by FBI for accomplishments as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chocolate chemistry explained by a food scientist, Sweets with a Swiss twist for Valentine's Day, Ask an expert: 7 most common questions about automatic home generators, One A Day: Small Daily Acts of Self-Care Go a Long Way to Health. All those arrested were transported to previously established areas for processing before being transported to magistrate courts for their arraignments. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia. Spring fire season means fire burning guidelines. Those days are over, Stuart said. Martinsburg. Published June 22, 2021 4:25 a.m. PDT Share TORONTO - Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana was seized in what. A free weekly newsletter with expert sports betting insight and analysis. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Sign up for the only WV Government and Business newsletter delivered each week! "Project Parkersburg was a game changer - it netted the largest meth bust in West Virginia history and resulted in more than a dozen defendants being prosecuted by my . Copen, Samuel Bo Copen, Jesse Copen, Sandy Copen, Nikki Copen, Stacy Williams, Brandon Carpenter, Debbie Wright, Jessica Ward, Karrisa Griffith, Terry Lewis, Sammy Kesterson, Brenda Gray, Janet McKinney, T.J. Sweet, Belinda Seabolt, Warren Ryder, Mandy Hinkle, Rick Wright, Chris Harris, Kelly Potter, Stacy Hanshaw, Sandra Cartwright, Earl Taylor, Witley Cogar, Dave Lawrence, Misty Russell, Sam Griffith, Chris Redden, Coy Gwinn, Randy Tinney, Matt Shaffer, Charlie Thomas, Miranda Puckett, n Summersville area: Brittany Potter, Jason Dancy, Bart Legg, Crystal Cook, Mark Grose, J.R. Ellison, n Craigsville area: Danny Holmes, Jason Johnson, Rick Meadows, John Hall,Nikki Myers, Candice Bess, Amber Farley, Stacey Bays, Candy Dillard, Tim Wright, Andy Rose, n Birch River area: Donna Gregory, Rebecca Morris, John Criss, Pat Dillion, n Mount Nebo/Ennon areas: Andrew Haas, Matt Lipps, Edward Stricker, Eddie Hughes, n Ansted/Fayetteville/Oak Hill/Mount Hope areas: Zach Hodge, Andy Walton, Watrina Jackson, Patty Adkins, Jackie Young, Chelsie Adkins, Christa Smith, William Smith, Austin Smith, Jericho Wriston, Shannon ODell, Jerome Comer, Michael Stanley, Michael Payne, Marcus Brisco, Keri Jacobowski, Trisha McMillan, Aaron Pack, Travis Hopkins, Jareth Myers, n Gauley Bridge/Smithers/Montgomery/Powellton/WV Route 61 areas: Michael Schoolcraft, Eddie Young, Joey Given, Yvonne Legg, Speedy Legg, George Leake III, Jeff Evans, Eric Perez, Cameron Cochron, Rayshawn Payne, Shawn Patton, Bubby Fragale, Barry Mitchell, Kevin Smith. "And we introduced law . Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood said the arrests and seizures of drugs represent "more to this community than just numbers on a page.". Four different education bills were voted on in both chambers. Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County! After 50-year 'war on drugs,' has anyone won? I would also like to thank the public for the copious number of tips that lead to these types of narcotics being removed from the streets.. We'd love to hear eyewitness A second mate and a crew member have been arrested in the. Participating in the bust were members of the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a Safe Streets/TOC West, and HIDTA-Funded Initiative consisting of the Keyser Police Department, Mineral County Sheriffs Office, Hampshire County Sheriffs Office, West Virginia State Police, DEA and FBI. The citizens would come and say, Why dont you do something about that up there? The average person doesnt know or doesnt stop and think that you cant just go in. Thirty people in the drug organization were indicted in state and federal court in southern West Virginia, and more arrest and search warrants were anticipated in Detroit, he said. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. When asked why a mass arrest was necessary, Calhoun said the element of surprise was necessary. A mix of clouds and sun. They shipped more narcotic painkillers to Mingo county per head of population than to any other place in the US. U.S. Atty. You passed about three hospitals, probably 50 pharmacies, and youre driving 100 miles from Point Pleasant to Kermit to pick up a prescription? Choose wisely! You have permission to edit this article. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay . Under oath, Wooley said he didnt remember ever seeing articles in trade magazines warning about escalating opioid addiction, or patients going from one doctor to another in search of multiple prescriptions. The last thing we want is for the US Postal Service to become the nations largest drug dealer and there are people way above my pay grade working on that, but absolutely its about putting pressure on the Chinese, Terwilliger said.

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