Hagerstown Center Of Alleged Drug Conspiracy, Prosecutors Say Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug. But how many people do you know that have been attacked by a terrorist? Images courtesy of Hagerstown police Department. Those charged are: Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as "Papi," 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. 12 arrested in Frederick County drug bust | wusa9.com The indictment also lists items requested for forfeiture that include more than $400,000 in cash, a .22 caliber pistol, ammunition, and six vehicles, all believed to be proceeds from the drug trafficking conspiracy. Christina Trenton Nee, COO, and Charlie Mooneyhan, CEO, of Wells House. Multiple law enforcement agencies ultimately provided assistance with the investigation. I was on the other side, and I get it, and people have every right to make that point.. o understand the DNA of Hagerstown, you have to go back to the 19th-century industrial boom. Information entered into this system will be submitted to the Washington County Narcotics Task Force only. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the area this year than the last 5 years combined. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Police said a more than three-year investigation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The first search was in the 500 block of Lynnehaven Drive in Hagerstown. Maybe longer. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Over a period of about three years, he went from prescription Vicodin to shooting up heroin. The first three municipality lawsuits against drugmakersall Ohio casesare scheduled to be heard in U.S. District Court in Cleveland early next year. Simms is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. The following agencies maintain drop boxes to drop off your not-needed prescription medication. The number of child abuse cases has gone up. News Flash Frederick, MD CivicEngage The following people were indicted during the investigation: Justin Aaron Spain, 41, of Lanham, Maryland. I wanted to knock down doors and haul bad guys off to jail, and thats what I did for 30 years., Since his daughters death, Simmers and Brooke's stepmother, Dana, have been very public about sharing their experience, sparing none of their familys worst moments and pain. Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. Tyler and Eddie Ware pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 28, 2020, and January 11, 2021; respectively. Others arrive in pajamas and sweatpants, barely awake, clutching telltale lockboxes for take-home doses. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Through the investigation and the evidence, officers were able to obtain 11 search warrants. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. TTY users may call any government office through the Maryland Relay Service 1-800-735-2258, Drug Activity Phone Tip Line 301-223-2632. Photography by Benjamin C. Tankersley | July 2018. the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. If effective, they will be a start in rebuilding Hagerstowns economy and, ultimately, its quality of life. CARROLL COUNTY 30-year-old James Samms was arrested for drug distribution conspiracy. Two drug busts were done on Wednesday after a three month investigation discovered a drug trafficking organization in the area. Calls can not be returned if call blocking features are used. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. he one place in Maryland that has had a long struggle with heroin use is Baltimore, of course. George Alfred Butler, 56, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Enough Fentanyl to Kill 1 Million People Seized in Hagerstown Bust icki Sterling, director of the Washington County Health Departments Division of Behavorial Health Services, says the turning point for the county in addressing the opioid epidemic was the death of former Hagerstown police sergeant Kevin Simmers daughter, Brooke, who overdosed on heroin 10 days after she had been released from a four-month prison stay. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740. Six people in Hagerstown, Maryland, conspired to distribute enough fentanyl to kill 1 million people, or 25 times the population of Hagerstown, federal prosecutors say. The Caroline and Dorchester County Task Forces, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration, were further assisted by Dorchester County States Attorneys Office, Dorchester County Sheriffs Office, MSP Special Operations Group, MSP STATE Team, MSP Homicide, MSP PACE, MSP Gun Unit, MSP Criminal Investigations (Easton, Centreville, Salisbury, Princess Anne and Worcester), MSP Technical Surveillance Unit, Easton Police Department, Wicomico County Sheriffs Office, Talbot County Narcotics Task Force, Kent County Narcotics Task Force, Queen Annes County Narcotics Task Force, Somerset County Narcotics Task Force, Queen Anne's County Sheriffs Office, Federalsburg Police, and the Hurlock Police Department. A Maryland State Police corporal who occasionally works out of the Hagerstown barrack was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaking case information and abetting an illegal drug operation, according to federal court documents. And now, Hagerstowns unique coordinates, once its greatest asset, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis. Summer Camp registration opens Apri, Congratulations to Boot Barn for celebrating a rib, On behalf of the National Park Service, the Washin, Check out the special events Washington County Rec, In observance of Presidents' Day, Washington Count, Americans with Disabilities Act Information. EASTON, Md. After several months of investigation and the help of several agencies, nine people have been indicted for allegedly being apart of a drug trafficking organization in two Maryland Eastern Shore counties. 34 indicted federally; feds allege drug ring that spanned West Virginia On Monday, the following people were brought into custody: Terry Ernede Jr., two counts of distribution of heroin. The task force also arrested Shawn Oliver on Monday for having an active warrant out for his arrest for the distribution of heroin, police said. A release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office revealed the following: Additionally, in less than one month, Smith and Tyler contacted each other 714 times by cell phone. Walter Javier Martinez, 17, was last seen in the area of Wellington Court and may have left in a blue vehicle. In recent decades, theyve swapped roles. Its a phone call away. If we were somehow able to turn around the [addiction] numbers today, it would take another 20 years to shake off the damage., police investigating a burglary on West Franklin Street. In the first decades after World War II, during the early rumblings of the automobile age, Hagerstown continued to thrive, becoming a trucking hub as well a rail hub. Inside the bedroom, Heather Strausbaugh sat talking with her client the conversation ranged from nightlife and bars to their families. Now its everywhere here, she says. In the early 1980s, King ran a large drug operation in East Baltimore and was a well-known figure, driving a DeLorean sports car and smoking with a bejeweled Zippo. 6:15 AM. Hagerstown PD's Biggest Drug Bust Caught On Film By Copwatch HTOWN Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. The substance abuse treatment center sits across the street from an abandoned hospital parking garage (the hospital moved out of downtown like nearly everything else), and a seemingly endless stream of addicts in late-model cars, minivans, and pickup trucks come and go until the pharmacy closes at noon. Stephen McCormick, two counts of distribution of cocaine. People often use the term self-medicating to describe why people use drugs or alcohol, says Ron Zuskin, a licensed clinical social worker and former University of Maryland faculty member who has worked in Western Maryland. Can Hagerstown Kick Its Habit? - Baltimore Magazine All Rights Reserved. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Holland is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center without bond. Read More. Low 33F. Earlier this spring, Keller, the city councilwoman who lost her best friend to an overdose, announced that the city would be joining several hundred municipalities, counties, and states in pursuing legal action against the nations largest drugmakers, alleging that they played a key role in launching the opioid epidemic. But he moved his family to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, leaving Hagerstown behind. Its low-income, and I think its hard for people to find and keep employment there, he says. Authorities are reporting 12 people have been charged with sex offenses, and seven victims have been placed into the harm reduction program with the Washington County Health Department. Contact WCNTF if you have information on these persons (301) 791-3205, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of wanted persons). You have permission to edit this article. Ive seen growth in investor confidence, says Director of Community & Economic Development Jill Frick Thompson, attributing it to the citys 10-year plan. Everyone had a story., n its heyday, Hagerstown built the massive Fairchild transport planes that carried U.S. troops across the Pacific during the Korean War; post-war, they made Boeing jets. Michael Anthony Holland, 36, of Hurlock, Maryland. CDS Possession/Use of Cocaine and Derivatives CDS Possession/Use of Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl) CDS Sale/Manufacturing Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl), CDS Sale/Manufacturing Other Dangerous Drugs CDS Possession/Use Opium (Heroin) CDS Sale/Manufacturing Cocaine, CDS Possession/Use- Cocaine CDS Possession/Use of Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl) CDS With Intent to Distribute Narcotics, CDS Possession- Not Cannabis CDS Possession/Use, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of recent arrests). At Meritus Medical Center outside of downtown Hagerstown, nearly three children a week are born addicted to opioids. The below persons are wanted or need to be identified by WCNTF at this time for drug violations or involved in a drug investigation. The office is currently staffed by personnel to include officers from the Hagerstown City Police Department, Deputies from the Washington County Sheriffs Department, an Intel Analyst, a Gang Analyst, two prosecutors from the State Attorneys Office, and two support staff. Baltimore, Md. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. And for the past two-and-a-half decades, the city has taken a public health approach to addiction, offering methadone programs, needle exchanges, HIV testing, and inpatient treatment opportunities before the pharmaceutical industry dumped OxyContin and other opioids onto a nave market. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. All it takes is a little fentanylor a microgram of carfentanyl, which is 100 times more potent. Its a huge step forward. TheCaroline County Drug Task Force is a multi-agencydrug task force, based inRidgely, Maryland; which functions under the direction and control of thedrug task forceadvisoryboard. I fully bought into the War on Drugs and what Reagan was doing, he says. It could not be determined Wednesday if those arrested remained in custody or were on pre-trial release. There wasnt a door that I knocked on when I was campaigning for City Council that people didnt say heroin and the opioid crisis was the number one issue, Keller says. Economists studying national trends say people should simply vacate towns like Hagerstownand seek work elsewhere. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. The NTF is responsible for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of persons who violate the controlled dangerous substance laws of Maryland, regardless of the sophisitication of the illicit operation. More than 20 indicted after drug bust in Hagerstown - DC News Now Later, outside a Rotary Club meeting, Keller talks more optimistically about the citys current efforts to tackle the crisis. We get to engage and feel like were being a positive influence on the city.. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. Frederick County Sheriff's Office Assists In Taking Down Major Drug Thats a lot of drugs, Kerns said Wednesday in a phone interview. Brooke died while waiting for insurance approval for a $700 monthly shot of Vivitrol, which reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The 30-count indictment charges the residents of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Dominican Republic with trafficking large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown to locations in Berkeley County, West Virginia, from August 2020 to June 2021. In an emotional press conference, she pointed the finger directly at the pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue Pharma, which hired hundreds of sales representatives to promote their product and has been accused of using misleading information to hide the drugs addiction potential. NEWARK, NJTwo members of an alleged drug trafficking ring based . Since the start of the addiction crisis, which now kills more in the U.S. than car accidents and gun violence combined, emergency rescue calls have tripled in Hagerstown. Andre Luther Woolford, 33, of Hurlock, Maryland. While he fled, Grant fell and injured himself, Kerns said. 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. Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. Now, how many families do you know that have been affected by addiction? Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Magnitude 2.0 earthquake reaches Montgomery County, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? Spain is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. HAGERSTOWN (WJZ) -- Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug trafficking conspiracy. We kind of got shit pie handed to us., Source: Maryland Vital Statistics Administration. Torri Deann Richardson, 37, and Roger Dean Saylor III, 30, were. . Derosiers isBeing held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. It is a cruel twist that Hagerstown, on the receiving end of so much heroin from Baltimore, has such a shortage of addiction specialists that the Wells House, one of the largest outpatient clinics here, utilizes Baltimore doctors via telemedicine to treat its clients. Three Hagerstown residents face drug charges after suspected heroin and suspected methamphetamine with a street value of approximately $50,000 was seized along with $9,000 in cash and several. Thirteen people, including corrections staffer, charged in alleged Spain is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. Police tactics in Pennsylvania prostitution stings - York Daily Record While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. July 28, 2021 / 2:11 PM The bust began in the late afternoon Monday as Grant was contacted to do a deal involving an informant, and was taken into custody inside the Sheetz on Potomac Avenue, Kerns said. "If they just had a pipefine," he said. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. Its these fast-rolling interstates that carry the deadly opioids, including heroin and fetanyl, flooding Marylands western counties. Two more telltale signs of Hagerstowns plight are present here as well: The countys storefront offices sit in an all-but-abandoned shopping center, and nearby is a Superfund site, less than a mile from three public schools, and still in need of remediation two decades after it was added to the EPAs National Priorities List. As a result of those search warrants, police recovered over 18 kilograms of cocaine, 2.7 kilograms of heroin/fentanyl, 5.9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 170 pounds of marijuana and approximately 34 firearms along with money believed to be connected to the drug operation. -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. FBI arrests 30 in drug sweep across Western Pa.; 3 remain at large The Frederick Police Department is seeking assistance locating a 17-year-old male, who has been missing since June. "This is the largest drug bust in my time as a prosecutor and as the elected state's attorney," Caroline County State's Attorney Joe Riley said. HAGERSTOWN, Md. First published on July 28, 2021 / 2:11 PM. 2 counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, 3 counts of using a firearm in drug trafficking, Possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. She discusses plans for the rollout of a new awareness program, Washington Goes Purple, a symbolic color adopted by opioid prevention advocates, geared toward steering youth away from substance abuse. Grant was treated at Meritus Medical Center and released to authorities, Kerns said. Another resident artist, Anthony Jones Jr., is a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic who credits artand Engine Roomas part of his salvation, giving him a sense of purpose and allowing him to be creative rather than self-destructive. Andrew Clopper, one count of distribution of heroin. Kevin Simmers relished locking up drug users, no matter how little crack they had on them. During the early morning hours of December 20 th, the Allegany County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of numerous allied agencies executed search and seizure warrants at three separate locations in the Town of Westernport. Meanwhile, health care, housing, and education costs have skyrocketed over the ensuing decades, but wages, adjusted for inflation, have remained essentially flat in Hagerstown, growing just 5 percent in total over that 25-year span. Others walk from nearby apartments. A months-long investigation initiated by citizen complaints resulted in the arrests of two suspected drug dealers Wednesday. Justin Ernest Riggs, 33, was arrested Saturday and is accused of leaking information to a drug trafficking organization . At that time, police apprehended Beckette, who was inside the duplex, Kerns said. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. But there is often trauma, or simply the stress of living in poverty, that is putting them under intense pressure.. Hagerstown built automobiles, bottled Coca-Cola, made shoes, clothing, furniture, and Breyers ice cream, and was the worlds largest manufacturer of pipe organs. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. on the U.S. Department of Justice website. E, all face drug charges, according to Kerns and online court records. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Hagerstown investigation leads to arrests of 2 alleged drug dealers President Donald Trump spoke to a packed hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport during his campaign in 2016 and won the county vote by a 2-1 margin. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore . "The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive.". basketball state quarterfinal highlights, D.C. high school basketball playoffs highlights (3/3/23), Maryland high school basketball playoffs highlights, Court docs reveal videos fmr. Press Release. Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and More than 20 Hagerstown residents were indicted for drug trafficking after the Washington County Narcotics Task Force wrapped up a two month long drug investigation into the distribution of heroin, crack cocaine and spice in the area. Then he went from eating it to snorting it. Please provide as much information as possible, Your name and address/information is optional. For the past 44 years, since Valley Mall was built on the outskirts of town, shuttering the department stores, retail shops, restaurants, theaters, and five and dimes, there have been hopes of reviving Hagerstowns once-thriving city center. Julie E. Greene is a reporter for The Herald-Mail. The loot was wrapped in bundles. Arrest made in Feb. 5 Hagerstown homicide. Christina Boward, two counts of distribution of heroin. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. Its like watching a slow train crash coming that you dont know how to stop.. The man seemed nervous. When you cant find work, cant pay your billswho wants to think about that? MARTINSBURG Allegedly using Top 3 Resources, an appliance store in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a front for having and selling controlled substances, 15 Eastern Panhandle residents were among those charged in an expansive drug-trafficking operation. Police Seize 83 Pounds of Meth in Massive Montgomery Co. Drug Bust The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. He couldnt hold down a job for more than a month or two, he says, and bounced around from one employer to the next: cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, waiting tables, making pizza.
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