During the lengthy investigation, an undercover officer purchased large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin with a street value of more than $3 million, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. We also have available information on Vandergrift support groups that will aid your journey towards sobriety. U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 for the first time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fueled in large part by fentanyl. Luis Cuna-Vigil, of Rosarito, Mexico, is facing five charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder money. Felicia "Fela" Nicole Mingura, of Salt Lake City, was charged with three counts of drug distribution and pleaded guilty to one of them in November 2022. The trooper scanned the inside of Maldonados car and noticed that it was empty except for a couple of energy drinks, some gas station snack foods and a blanket on the back seat. In court hearings, Chesnoff said Morris works as a machinist and bought the house for $60,000, using his talents as a skilled carpenter to legitimately improve it. Burbank officers struck it rich in a cocaine raid June 19. Torrance police similarly said a tip from a separate investigation alerted their seven-officer drug team and federal agents to a case that culminated in June with two arrests in Glendale and the seizure of a suitcase stuffed with $800,000, so heavy that the drug dealers had to drag it. Seizures by Glendales 3-year-old detail have bought the 182-officer department infrared night-vision goggles for helicopter pilots as well as a high-tech laser device that can read nearly invisible fingerprints, Lt. Mike Post said. What good is it to be born here if my loved ones cant be here? Federal authorities were unprepared for the flood of claims that the 1984 law brought in, according to Brad Cates, director of the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Office in Washington. That almost happened when Fullerton detectives followed a suspect to an expensive home in a secluded West Covina neighborhood, and did not have time to contact local police. Some police agencies report, however, that suspects are beginning to adjust to the rules of the game in an attempt to make seizures more difficult. 200 Oak Avenue Kittanning, PA 16201. The states 18 task forces seized only about $7 million in cash and property through 1987--less than Glendale police alone. . Investigators believe the people involved in this drug bust had the intent to distribute methamphetamine in Texas and elsewhere from August 2019 to March 2021. Jerry Moore, 61, of Custer Avenue was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, two counts of possession of controlled substances and two counts of possession with intent to deliver. The information does not count as actual medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat any disease or health issue. Couple sues Pasadena fertility clinic after baby is born with stomach-cancer gene, Legislators propose changes to Californias conservatorship law, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. The DEA lost track of the man who was transporting the massive amount of fentanyl. 2016-22 by Penn-Trafford Citizens for Drug Awareness, Inc. His federal sentence is running concurrent to three state sentences. But after this story was published, a DEA official confirmed the seizure of 114 pounds of fentanyl. For reasons of safety and courtesy, it is standard procedure for officers who travel into other cities to inform hometown police. Vigil was sentenced on Sept. 7, 2022, to 16 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Rental cars and lease cars are becoming the big things, said Breas Messina. Police arrested 42-year-old Michael Medina from the. Maldonado claimed he wasnt nervous; he just had to go to the bathroom really bad. He initially refused to allow the trooper to search his car but then relented because he wanted to get back on the road, the court document says. A major New York City drug trafficker and 12 others were nabbed in a citywide, multi-agency drug bust following a year-long investigation into narcotics and gun trafficking in Brooklyn and Queens . Vandergrift has 55 residental and 182 outpatient treatment centers within 100 miles of the city center. The law not only put up for grabs property used directly in a crime, such as cars that transported cocaine, but also any assets bought with illegal proceeds, such as homes or yachts. In February, the U.S. Attorney's office announced that. Additionally, the authors, editors, sponsors, contributors, and affiliates of RehabList.org hold no liability, obligation, or responsibility to any person or entity for any loss or damage claimed to have happened directly or indirectly as a result of material on this website. © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Brandon police have seized nine kilos of cocaine, over $450,000, three vehicles, and weapons in what they call the largest cocaine bust in the citys history Nov 28, 2022. The courts have generally prohibited arrangements where undercover informants are paid on a contingent basis, because that creates a motive to exaggerate or falsify testimony.. In many cases, cocaine and pills laced with fentanyl have killed people who had no idea they were consuming it. Glendale and Torrance, which have among the most active roving drug squads, are awaiting claims for $7.2 million and $5 million, respectively. Women can help empower other women in these women-only rehab centers and continue to encourage each other for years to come. Leaders of the most aggressive squads defend their long-distance work as part of the local fight against drugs. Estimated read time: 9-10 Before such laws, the Franchise Tax Board was the sole state agency able to claim seized property--and then only for unpaid taxes. Salt Lake City resident Celina "Baby G" Alexandra Garcia pleaded guilty in February 2022 to distribution of a controlled substance. All but one of the suspects have been released with court appearances beginning in December. 400 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 707, Penn Center East, Building 4, 777 Penn Center Boulevard, Penn Center East Building 7, Suite 111. Numbers displayed on Rehablist.org may route to third party answering services. The suspects are Ryan Scott Ahern, 43, of Oakmont; Scott Andrew Kun, 39, of Harwick; and Dennis. It was a curious turn of phrase given what had happened just after the record fentanyl seizure a stunning blunder that went unmentioned during the July 6 news conference. Salt Lake City resident Judy "Juicy Judy" Ann Maestas was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and prosecutors again dropped one when she pleaded guilty to the other in March 2022. Along with sports cars, they have seized big-rig trucks, homes, jewelry, electronic recording equipment and millions of dollars in cash. Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time. Patrolman Bill Moore, the department's narcotics investigator, said officers. Learn more about what this means, Recovery Centers of America at Monroeville, Community Counseling Center of Ashtabula County, Gateway Rehabilitation Center - Squirrel Hill, Neil Kennedy Recovery Center - Austintown, CAReS (Council on Addiction Recovery Services, Inc.), Greenbriar Treatment Center Squirrel Hill, Mon Yough Community Services Addiction Trt and Intervention Servs, Pyramid Healthcare Pittsburgh Outpatient Treatment Center, Greenbriar Treatment Center Robinson Township, Greenbriar Treatment Center - North Strabane, Greenbriar Treatment Center North Strabane, Outside in School of Experiential Education, Turning Point Treatment Center Outpatient Services, Greenbriar Treatment Center - Lighthouse For Women, Pyramid Healthcare Altoona Outpatient Treatment Center, Valley Healthcare System New Beginnings Prg for Women, United Summit Center Bob Mays Recovery Center, Pyramid Healthcare Erie Outpatient Treatment Center, Council on Addiction Recovery Services Westons Manor, New Directions Inc Female Residential/Nancy Hanna House. The squads are an outgrowth of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, which allows local agencies to claim as much as 90% of the assets they seize through criminal investigations. . Dismantling fentanyl trafficking organizations is our priority because out of all illegal drugs, fentanyl is killing the most people. Linda Rose Garcia, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Although the specialized officers know the advantages of going it alone--the less you rely on other agencies, the more the pie is yours, Messina noted--the quest for the big raid inevitably requires some coordination with other police departments. Martin "Lalo" Verduzco-Muro, of Bountiful, initially faced eight charges, including drug distribution, money laundering and firearms possession. For three months in early 1986, the Simi Valley officers worked in 12- to 14-hour shifts watching the suspects houses from parked cars, then followed the drug dealers to what later turned out to be drug stash pads., It was a long and tedious investigation, James recalled. The driver, identified as Maldonado, told the trooper he had spent a week in the town of Grand Junction visiting family. The newcomer team, by contrast, had been tailing the suspect for only part of that day after buying 2 kilograms of cocaine from him, he said. Rehab can be an entirely new experience. In total, 33 pounds of cocaine and 25 pounds of fentanyl mixtures were seized along with an assault weapon and three guns. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 18. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped three additional drug charges and two additional firearms charges. 2. Mario "Grump" Alberto Lovato, of Salt Lake City, was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and prosecutors also dropped one charge when he pleaded guilty to the other in March 2022. What concerns me is the injection of a profit motive into our system of justice in which the enforcers have an interest in the outcome, said Gerold F. Uelman, dean of the Santa Clara University School of Law. All right reserved. In Simi Valley, drug money bought a mobile crime lab, updated equipment for the SWAT team, 9-millimeter handguns for all officers and $200,000 to upgrade and expand the police computer system. Prosecutors dismissed three of the charges when she pleaded guilty in March 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Recent Arrest Information for Madera County California Using information from RehabList.org to diagnose health issues or diseases is not advised. "This . DEA spokeswoman Katherine Pfaff declined to comment to NBC News, citing the ongoing investigation. I wanted you to see that behind the scenes there is aggressive and tenacious police work being done and prosecution being done to save lives and to bring people to justice.. He was sentenced on May 23, 2022, to four years and nine months in prison with credit for time served, followed by three years of supervised release. Estes was sentenced on Sept. 21, 2022, to three and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release. Listed below are some of the Los Angeles-area police departments that have specialized squads of officers who concentrate on investigations of high-level dealers, often going beyond their cities borders to make arrests and seize drugs. The statistics do not distinguish drug cases from others, but Virtue said that almost all of the seized cash and property comes from drug cases. and theres a bunch of goofy looking narcs, whats going to happen is a black and white (police car) is going to come and its going to blow a stakeout.. Warmer storms could cause problems, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. He was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2022, to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. David Maldonado managed to drive away from federal drug agents after he agreed to cooperate with them. 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