Unfortunately many people seem to think that crap matters..it does not. It sends a message that local, state and federal authorities are always hard at work trying to bring the perpetrators to justice, he said. Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Md. Rain likely. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. This big drug bust is similar to the others because it's linked to -- you guessed it -- cocaine. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. By Matthew Hill; Jun 6, 2006 Jun 6, 2006 Updated Jul 29, 2014 . Each day, hundreds of people lined up outside an old animal feed store where a group of doctors were set up by a former pimp, just out of federal prison for running a gay prostitution ring in Washington DC, to churn out opioid prescriptions faster than West Virginias major hospitals. Up until his arrest, Ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more than filling prescriptions written by doctors. In the north of Mingo county, another pharmacist looked on enviously. Courrier. Of those arrested, 54 are from Clarksburg. I would like to personally thank all involved agencies for their combined effort in removing this number of narcotics off the streets of Keyser, Mineral County, and the state of West Virginia, Bruce said. Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan, and Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, remain at large. Both men are currently in the North Regional Jail. Marshals Service and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were among the agencies involved in the mass arrest, as well as the West Virginia State Police, Summersville Police Department, Nicholas County Sheriffs Department, Richwood Police Department, Fayette County Sheriffs Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Oak Hill Police Department, Mount Hope Police Department and the Montgomery Police Department. 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. Lets call this whole thing what it is. Sign up to get our statewide obits delivered to your inbox daily. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid . The city of 48,000 residents along the Ohio River had a record 19 homicides last year, up from three in 2015. person will not be tolerated. No one should have to be in that situations. Twenty minutes drive to the north, the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in the village of Kermit, population 280 and falling, was outstripping them both. Drugs, firearms, cash and vehicles totaling an estimated $372,700 street value were confiscated during a Dec. 1 drug bust believed to be the largest in Keysers history. Ellifritz, who previously worked in the Keyser Police Department, added that he definitely believes Its the biggest in the city of Keyser with all the combined drugs.. Doctors wrote the prescriptions. KEYSER, W.Va. (WV News) A Keyser man remains jailed after being arrested earlier this month in what law enforcement officials believe is the largest drug bust in Keyser history. JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Over 100 people are now facing charges after Jackson County Sheriffs Department lead what they say is the largest drug warrant sweep in the history of the state. 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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. U.S. Atty. Be Truthful. Before long, it was outselling its rivals in town. racist or sexually-oriented language. West Virginias medical regulators missed opportunities too. Senate swiftly passes 'Equal Protection for Religion Act'. It shows that were trying to address the problem, he said, noting that authorities wont simply sit back on their hands once their work is gone from the headlines. 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. I tried to use the wire fraud to get everybody, the pharmacies and the doctors. Invalid password or account does not exist. ELKINS, W.Va. - Elkins officials continue to investigate after arresting three people in the city's biggest meth bust to date. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. All rights reserved. Shwanna Hunt, 37,. At least one suspect ordered fentanyl from a vendor in Shanghai that was successfully mailed through US Postal Service to Newport News, Virginia, according to the indictment. High 78F. The numbers of prescriptions fell sharply. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard;U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and U.S. attorney's offices in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. It wasnt long before drug distribution companies, some of the largest firms in America among them, were delivering millions of opioid pills a year to Tug Valley. Fifty years ago this summer, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Reporting from CHARLESTON, W.Va. . "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 . Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. I thought, My God, almost 9m pills in two years went out of here, and Wooley said that he made $500,000 a month in a little town of 400 people.. Federal prosecutors charged him with making millions of dollars from illegally supplying opioids alongside Anthony Rattini, the former president of Ballengees major suppliers, Miami-Luken, and others. "They represent lives saved from overdose deaths and the continuing nightmare of drug addiction and the never-ending spinoffs of associated crimes from robberies, retail thefts, shootings and others that tear at the very fabric of our great and prosperous community," he said. Stuart said this was the largest meth bust in West Virginia history. Law enforcement officials are encouraging members of the public who have information concerning the suspects involved to contact authorities. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Create a password that only you will remember. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. The alleged drug trafficking ring is an example of fentanyl coming to the US from China, said US Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia. The alleged suspects range in age from 19 to 63 years old. 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. On Tuesday, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Rachel Romano and Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker announced that 87 individuals have been arrested with 78 arrests happening Tuesday all in connection to drug possession, distribution and trafficking in North Central West Virginia. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. Daily News, Sports and Events for Weston and Surrounding areas. To the watching investigators, the stone building with a peaked red roof looked more like a rural cabin than a fount for the millions of opioid pills spilling across Appalachia. You have permission to edit this article. Low 34F. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as Papi, 48, of the Dominican Republic, is one of 34 people indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of West Virginia on charges stemming froma multi-state drug operation, according to Randolph J. Bernard, the district's acting U.S. attorney. MARTINSBURG, W.Va.Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force every day, but last month, they outdid themselves. The circle was complete. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Officers say they confiscated 20 grams of fentanyl. Find out what's happening around the state with this weekly email alert sent every Thursday evening! According to the sheriffs office, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorneys office assisted in nabbing $6.5 million in drugs, guns and cash linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa Cartel. Don't Miss it! This is a continual battle; these officers are right back at it tomorrow morning.. JCSO officials say Operation Centennial Sweep totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I came from Point Pleasant. In the six years after Tug Valley opened, pharmaceutical distributors delivered nearly 11m of the most common type of opioid pill, hydrocodone. "We seized over six pounds of crystal. Man arrested in drug bust believed to be biggest in Keyser history. But he just got into that other business, and it starts snowballing and greed took over. All those arrested were transported to previously established areas for processing before being transported to magistrate courts for their arraignments. Area listings from Your Bulletin Board with regular updates. Its a continual operation and I think its a little bit of a wake up call for a lot of folks in the county, said Sheriff Mellinger. Some suspects switched phones regularly and used prepaid cell phones that did not need a subscribers name. Officers initiated a traffic stop in the 300 block of North Huron Street around 1:40 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22. Sheriff Mellinger said majority of the arrests are felony drug charges along with other related crimes. Terrence McGuirk, 51, who was jailed after the historic "Project Parkersburg" drug bust, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. So the clinic didnt bother to send prescriptions at all and took to the illegal practice of writing lists of names and dosages on sheets of paper and faxing them to the pharmacies. 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. Martinsburg authorities look back on record drug bust. Europe and others push for a standard lunar time zone, Dr. Simi is a TikTok star. Were not seeing meth labs here much anymore, he said, to which Bruce added, Fentanyl is the big issue now.. When the sun went down (Wednesday) night we were actually sitting at about 90 (arrests).. In some cases, the defendants face penalties of five to 40 years in prison, 20 years in prison and 10 years to life, Bernard said. Evening headlines from the Charleston Gazette-Mail, The latest in travel and recreation around West Virginia, The daily opinion newsletter from the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Choose wisely! Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens. These junkies would forge prescriptions, and back in the pre-computer days I can remember standing in pharmacies going through prescriptions going, thats a junkie, thats a junkie, these are false scripts, said Ciccarelli, who has since died, in 2017. Critics have said it could be used to challenge local nondiscrimination ordinances or government-mandated vaccine requirements. Police in Laos have made the biggest single drug seizure ever recorded in Asia, according to the United Nations. Apparently a VERY big Trump and Kyle Rottenhouse(or whatever that stupid kid's name is) Fanboy according to his FB account. Tiano lost his medical licence. He will be sentenced in July. Mike Stuart said more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers targeted nearly 100 people for arrests aimed at dismantling a multistate distribution network. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet Massive West Australian drug bust as close to 100kg of meth reportedly found stuffed in pillows stopped at Fremantle port. Ballengee testified in earlier civil depositions that he was filling between 150 and 200 opioid prescriptions a day from the Wellness clinic alone, but claimed to see no reason for suspicion. Covid-19 could be making things worse. 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. Across the river, Family Pharmacy was so busy that the owner, Larry Ray Barnett, had hundreds of bottles of pills lined up ready for assistants to grab as customers cycled through. In 1991, police officers seized 59 boxes containing 1080 pounds of Heroin, with a street value ranging from $2.7 billion to $4 billion. $18 million, Antioch, Calif. One California raid in 2014 remains one of the biggest drug busts the U.S. has ever seen. RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Almost 300 lbs. When officers stopped the vehicle, they could smell the odor of marijuana. Don't Threaten. Daily News, Sports and Events for Preston County. BRIDGEPORT In a collaborative effort from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, more than 80 people have been charged in one of the biggest drug busts in North Central West. Winds light and variable.. Clear skies. Published: Nov. 28, 2019 at 3:23 AM PST. Oh, we were aware. So he went to the West Virginia board of pharmacy. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay . Wooley pleaded guilty to illegally selling prescription medication and conspiracy, and went to prison for six months in 2012. 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 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. NELSON COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Twenty-two people in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley face drug-related charges, such as racketeering or distribution of methamphetamine. As a landmark federal opioid trial nears completion, West Virginia communities are demanding $2.5 billion in compensation. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force . I was blown away. You know how it is: if I can make a million, I can make two.. He was arraigned and bond was set at $175,000 cash only, but that has since been reduced to $50,000 cash only, according to the PHRJ website. Keep it Clean. He said 40 of the 87 arrests will be facing federal charges while 47 face state charges. ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The state's biggest drug bust has resulted in the arrests of more than a dozen people, including the alleged woman ringleader of the $36-million-a-year heroin ring, officials . Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. 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