John Ingram Police say the two men were arrested for the felony offense of possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl and possession of fentanyl. Choose wisely! Whether anyone won the war is questionable, but the losers are clearly Black and Latino Americans, their families and their communities. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. As a landmark federal opioid trial nears completion, West Virginia communities are demanding $2.5 billion in compensation. 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. PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that his office's "Kensington Initiative" netted its sixth major . Operation Angels Envy culminated in one of the largest cumulative takedowns in the area with 33 individuals charged, and seizure totals of 473 pounds of methamphetamine, 42 kilograms of fentanyl, nine kilograms of heroin, 129 kilograms of cocaine, 5,100 pounds of other drugs, over $5.3M in US Currency, 114 firearms (many of which were assault-style weapons), and over $700,000 in jewelry and vehicles. Critics have said it could be used to challenge local nondiscrimination ordinances or government-mandated vaccine requirements. The two decades of the opioid epidemic is a story of missed opportunities, large and small. 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. "Drug traffickers don't work nine-to-five hours, so the people investigating this case have to work 24-seven, and this team worked for approximately a year investigating this case," he said. A lot of times there will be property crimes and gun crimes (too) but its all inter-related and sometimes the gun crimes and property crimes will be secondary nature to the underlying drug investigation.. The giveaway was the drive-thru window, and the cars lined up past the abandoned ghost shops in downtown Williamson, West Virginia. Copyright 2021 WSAZ. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. 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. Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County! News from around the State and World. If the warnings sounded by pain specialists and doctors in the first few years had been heeded, the crisis might have been averted or at least greatly diminished. Those four were: Michael Figueroa, 28, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to distribute concaine base, aiding and abetting maintaining a drug involved premises and distribution of cocaine base. Unfortunately many people seem to think that crap matters..it does not. 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Were not seeing meth labs here much anymore, he said, to which Bruce added, Fentanyl is the big issue now.. 1.San Francisco is home to the crown of the world largest ever recorded drugs bust. There was a lot of money being made.. "And we introduced law . In the six years after Tug Valley opened, pharmaceutical distributors delivered nearly 11m of the most common type of opioid pill, hydrocodone. Sign up for . During the search, 4.5 kilos of a fentanyl/heroin mix, $40,000 in cash and several handguns were found. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid . Updated: Apr 9, 2018 / 11:04 PM EDT. You have permission to edit this article. A and Apt. Of those arrested, 54 are from Clarksburg. accounts, the history behind an article. Some suspects switched phones regularly and used prepaid cell phones that did not need a subscribers name. Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Md. Report a Closing. Its pretty much a cartel. Weather Alerts. 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.. All Rights Reserved. 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. The FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Gross sales surged above $6.5m. that is degrading to another person. Spring fire season means fire burning guidelines. Drug distributors delivered more than 30m opioid pills just to those three pharmacies, in one of the poorest counties in America. Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens. All rights reserved. Martinsburg authorities look back on record drug bust. Ihlenfeld said warrants were executed for charges including the possession and distribution of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. Low 34F. Low 54F. The alleged suspects range in age from 19 to 63 years old. Hourly & 8-Day Forecast. Mostly sunny. Invalid password or account does not exist. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Its definitely the biggest Ive seen, Chief Bruce said. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. 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. Officers seized 24 firearms, 30 kilograms of heroin, 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than $700,000 in cash along with 30 kilograms of fentanyl, according to a press release from the US attorneys office. Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron . ELKINS, W.Va. - Elkins officials continue to investigate after arresting three people in the city's biggest meth bust to date. Courrier. These days, the town has shrunk to 9,889 residents and the economic prospects have dimmed. 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Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Operation Angels Envy also had a far-reaching impact throughout the DMV. The numbers of prescriptions fell sharply. Apparently a VERY big Trump and Kyle Rottenhouse(or whatever that stupid kid's name is) Fanboy according to his FB account. A drug trafficking organisation, said Sgt Mike Smith of West Virginia state police, who spent years unravelling the web of doctors, pharmacists and drug companies that made rural Mingo county the opioid capital of America. Month by month, the orders escalated. Roughly enough Heroin to supply an estimated 500,000 heroin users for a month. We knew what was going on. Updated: Mar 19, 2021 / 02:47 PM EDT BOONE COUNTY, WV (WOWK)According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence along Hendrick's Drive in Keith and arrested 54-year-old Paul Thomas "Paulie" Lombardi from Orgas, West Virginia on Thursday. Don't Miss it! But as word spread and people came from hundreds of miles around, so the drugstores struggled to meet demand. . May 15, 2021 - 5:00 pm. Years later, all of the pharmacists claim to have not seen any of this. Murphy told CNN affiliate WSB that it is by far the biggest heroin seizure in Georgia's . The bust resulted in a confiscation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was worth around $1.2 billion at the time. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. racist or sexually-oriented language. 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. I tried to use the wire fraud to get everybody, the pharmacies and the doctors. The investigation is ongoing at this time. In December, Easton admitted to selling. 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. Fifty years ago this summer, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. In 2009 alone, Ballengee ordered 3m hydrocodone pills. 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. "We seized over six pounds of crystal. READ MORE: Trump supporter charged with assault after blowing on women near Virginia Trump club. The operation was a joint effort between the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, Ripley Police Department, U.S. Chance of rain 90%. Ratique Wilson, 25, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting maintaining a drug involved premises, distribution of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and use of a fire during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. 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. Oh Baby - two of FOX 5 DC's evening anchors announce they're pregnant! Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox. 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. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force . Doctors wrote the prescriptions. These arrests are the culmination of that effort. There was an error processing your request. This week's most popular news from around the State. Get the River Cities Tribune and Register Delivered to your email less frequently! 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. Authorities seized nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamines worth roughly $18 . Smith went to federal prosecutors with the evidence about the illegal lists of prescriptions and pressed them to file charges. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. 9. Everyone was going along with it.. Zombie drug seen in Cabell Co. Kanawha County man has been missing for 7 years, Man wanted for pointing handgun at person, Some parts of Columbus Zoo are getting upgrades, I-64E reopens after tractor-trailer crash in Cabell, JB McCuskey launches run for West Virginia Governor, Applications open to participate in Hillbilly Days, Waverly man arrested for abducting person with firearm, $409K to be used for affordable housing in WV, The New StormTracker 13 VIPIR Real Time Radar, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Manchin Hand-Delivers Tax Cut Warning to the Statehouse. "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. Most common type of opioid pill, hydrocodone was the drive-thru window, and laundering. 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