Antonio DaShawn Daniels, a/k/a Freckleface Shawn, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia was indicted on August 11, 2020. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the governments burden to prove the defendants guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Because it's here, Mexican cartel in US: Rural folks who cant escape drug trade end up locked up or dead, A dangerous Mexican drug cartel has infiltrated the addicted, mountainous region of North Carolina. Martha Olivia Placencia Beltran, 48, of Charlotte. A locked padlock He's remained a critic of criminal justice reform in Mecklenburg County, especially as violence has increased. (arrested), Rodolfo Medina, 47, of Charlotte. Police arrested James Brown, Christopher Gause and Bryan Walker Tuesday for trafficking cocaine. Kenneth Bennett and JeremyNunnenkampforged anothermain connection tothe border that linked CJNG meth to the region in2012 and 2013 before they got busted, according to law enforcement. Nunnenkamp and Bennett joined forces after realizing they had the same CJNG connection, according to law enforcement. After partnering with federal drug enforcement agents, Fayetteville police seized drugs, cash, cars and houses. "The fact that the district attorney is saying, 'We are not going to prosecute folks for these things' and the police say, 'Oh well, we're going to do it anyway,' shows that they are not here to protect and serve and to do the will of the people.". Inside a studio apartment in Atlanta, agents found approximately 28 kilograms of heroin, six kilograms of cocaine, eight kilograms of marijuana, and more than $1 million in cash. Intelligencefrom other narcotics cases in Ashe County landed Saldana onauthorities radar around 2008. WebCharges contained in the 41-count indictment range from drug conspiracy involving cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; operation of a "crack house" at 2317 Dundeen Street in Charlotte; Thanks, your message has been sent successfully. "And he'svery lucky thathe didnt die,Kaufman, the federal prosecutorwho tried the case against Saldana, said in his closing statement. Conaway said there's now so much meth around here, crystal meth is almost just as affordable as high-grade marijuana. However, other sources allege that a gang operating where he grew up in Michigan forced him to sell drugs out of the car wash he worked at. After that, Biggie went biggie time. It was a symbiotic relationship that allowed Roger Dale and Lisa Dawns drug business to thrive. ATLANTA Antonio DaShawn Daniels has been indicted on federal charges related to possession with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Everyone went crazy over the Mexican meth they sold. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not changed our enforcement strategy as we continue to identify alternative solutions to arrests in drug possession cases. Your message has not been sent. His mayhem came to an end when he was arrested and jailed at 16. Back in his younger days, he was quite the hellraiser, to put it lightly. Police discovered a drug ring stretching from Texas to Fayetteville, which may have been operating for 20 years. The defendants named in the 33-count indictment are all charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Have a question about Government Services? "When they know English and are familiar with the law, they can communicate with law enforcement to cover up what they're doing," he said. Maybe about a quarter of the time, (the dealer) will talk to us and tell us how it is. The couple had four-wheelers, mopeds, a pool table, a boat, vehicles, guns, lawnmowers and any tool you can imagine, Lisa Dawn said. Watching neighborhood drug dealers rake in cash without helping their community, Platt says, made him want to make all the money so he could give back. Afterspending more than two years in federal prison,Lisa Dawn recalled the absurd lifestyleshe and Roger Dale had while running their small-town empire. Example video title will go here for this video. Your donation or partnership can help families access high-quality, affordable child care. The cartels know this and they're going to fill that demand.". "All of the decisions that we have to make with the few resources that we have are extremely serious and we have had to be thoughtful and there will be certainly some adjustments, but what we have experienced through this pandemic is not a one-year problem, it's not a two-year problem, it's a five- and 10-year problem and so we've got to figure out different strategies at serving the people of this county. Since 2012, a joint local, state and federal task force known as Operation Dixie Crystalhas led to the convictions of more than 266federal defendants inwestern North Carolinafor meth trafficking, federal officials said. If you understand the drug business, theyre like cockroaches. Detectives discovered the majority of the suspects in the case attended the same high schools in Fayetteville in the late 1970s. ", RELATED: Millions in cash found hidden in barrels with raw pork shoulders. The department's Narcotics Vice Interdiction Team began its drug smuggling investigation in 2006. Become a member to benefit your organization no matter your role in child care. After her arrest in Mecklenburg County, a police officer advocated that she receive treatment rather than incarceration and Merriweather, then an assistant district attorney, handled her case. If youre in Charlotte and looking for reliable RV sales, then Carolina Coach & Marine is a good business to visit as it has served the community for years. It was the power. I believe we can make a big change in the lives of people, he said. Read our latest blog on how important the 118th Congress is for the fight for affordable and accessible child care for all families. ", Jason Cunningham owns a bonding company. "We're moving towards the right way to treat the problem. Agents say Charlotte's booming population is partly to blame. (arrested). The arrests of these individuals are a testament to the high level of cooperation between our federal and local law enforcement counterparts as we work together to achieve our common goal: to disrupt drug networks from operating in this district and to stem the flow of drugs they pour into our communities, said U.S. Attorney Murray. "It's the largest bust that I know of in Fayetteville in my 25 years," said Captain Bobby Chapman, narcotic vice supervisor. we asked. Looking back, Lisa Dawn said selling meth where the addiction is rampant was easy. Western North Carolina Example video title will go here for this video. Money Rock: A Familys Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South, I have blood in this. A former drug dealer will try to help curb Charlotte violence, Officials hopeful a newly named program can help cut violent crime in Charlotte, Expelled UNC student says he was targeted by women who falsely accused him of assault, Deputy rapes woman at traffic stop and tells her she wont be charged, Tennessee cops say. Looks like Marky Mark thinks he should get special treatment. Puckett Williams knows what it's like to sit in jail on drug charges, waiting for her day in court, while battling addiction. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. As coronavirus pandemic-related court shutdowns continue to delay trials, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather is taking drastic action in an effort to prosecute more homicides and violent crimes. The cartel wouldmuch rather recruit an American with a Hispanic backgrounditcan trust to move drugs than a cartel member who might not be as familiar with American culture, saidWilliams, the lead local law enforcement officer in Saldanas case. At first we thought she made it up. STAY CLEAR !!! She wasdriving around with adrunk, passed outRoger Dale in the red Mustang thatsomeone had tradedthem for$2,000 and some dope. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's lucky to be alive with his drug dealing past. According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2019, federal agents uncovered ledgers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization showing that Daniels received just over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine between August 2018 and October 2019. Platt credits his mother, activist Carrie Graves, for influencing his desire to help Black people. Allen's trial was set for that following November and, according to Biography.com, it was during that one-month waiting period that Allen decided to give comedy a try, debuting at the Detroit Comedy Castle. While in Mexico in the summer of 2012, Saldana letanassociate live in a trailer on his property and run his drugtrade. Kaufman, who prosecutes Dixie Crystal cases,told The Courier Journal that he couldn't discuss specific trafficking organizations,but he said the task force'sefforts have "disrupted the networks" in the region and will "continue to do so.". ATV is an interrupter program led by community members from violence-stricken neighborhoods that trains them to intercede before violence happens and to help prevent recurrences. The DEA said the days of home cooks making meth in rural North Carolina are long gone, replaced by chemists in super labs in Mexico who are hired by drug trafficking organizations. That was my mindset, not realizing that I was literally being a part of this conspiracy to destroy our people by selling them that poison and bringing it into the Charlotte area and pumping those drugs into the neighborhood.. Mexican drug lord's super cartel infiltrates US small towns, How a Mexican cartel turned a rural area into a hidden cocaine hub, One mistake trapped a desperate dad in a Mexican drug cartel's web. Once the cartel brings a huge load across and throws it out there for everyone to sell, its out of their hands. A federal criminal indictment was filed on February 22, 2018, and was unsealed late yesterday in federal court following arrests conducted during an early morning round-up. "My understanding from Spencer was that CMPD was notified of this change in mid November 2020 and was supposed to get the word out to rank and file quickly," a prosecutor in charge of the drug cases wrote to CMPD on January 19. #Defenders pic.twitter.com/xxObFDf5W1. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. "I have to leave to law enforcement what they do on the street and what strategies they decide to employ," Merriweather replied. The FBI will continue to join forces with our state and local law enforcements partners to track down these offenders to end the deadly cycle of drug abuse in our communities, said John Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. Oct 31, 2020. "They'll come here, some will stay and some will go on to other areas," Conaway said. In the meantime, those arrested for minor drug charges remain caught between competing policies. "We've seen increased cartel activity here," DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Conaway said. The arrangement unraveled after Nunnenkamp, Bennett, his girlfriend and roommate were all arrested in April 2013. Spurred by his own fierce addiction, Roger Dale used his connections to gain access to mass quantities of nearly pure crystal meth, dispensing kilograms of drugs that had been smuggled into the region from cartel labs in Mexico. In 2013, Elba told GQ Magazine that he used to push bags of weed while working as a doorman at Caroline's in New York City. The idea of drug decriminalization, especially to this degree, remains controversial. He was arrested in December 2012two months afterbeing shot several times in Mexico, court records show. Unfortunately, heroin and methamphetamine has impacted virtually every community in the country, including Union County, and we must continue to use all available resources to protect our citizens and bring dealers to justice. He preached in Conway for eight years, before he said the Lord spoke to him again. Bennett made his connection to the cartel while he was locked up in Louisiana. Investigative reporter Kala Kachmar and photographer Alton Strupp traveled to Charlotte and rural counties in North Carolina to find out more about drug rings connected CJNG. View our latest report, The Year in Child Care: 2021 Data, Analysis and Recommendations, Fee Assistance and Respite Care for Military/DoD Families. Charlotte Alerts. Last Tuesday, Platt got a chance at redemption when city and Mecklenburg County officials named him the site supervisor for the new Alternatives to Violence program. Matador Recovery 44 subscribers Subscribe 17 Share 3.9K views 4 years ago Matador Recovery takes the TN For those caught with just enough drugs for themselves, prosecutors won't pursue cases unless guns are involved, there's a connection to violence or police have arrested the same person multiple times within a year for similar crimes. . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. - See 35 traveler reviews, candid photos, and great deals for Knights Inn Charlotte South at Tripadvisor. Though he only served a 45-day stint, he knew he had to change his life, and he did, with the help of his brother Donnie, then of New Kids on the Block. (arrested), Kevin Eliezer Velasquez Melendez, 18, of Concord, N.C. (previously arrested on a complaint), Alejandro Jose Lopez Ceballos, 20, residence unknown. Affordable and accessible child care for all families reminded that the indictment contains. Of 2012, Saldana letanassociate live in a trailer on his property and run drugtrade. 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