The indictment also calls for the forfeiture of $400,000 in cash, a .22 caliber pistol, ammunition and six vehicles, all believed to be proceeds of the drug conspiracy. However, the shops we visited had good deals and were brightly lit, clean and had nice staff. Conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics. , Rep. Hoyer on legacy, traditions and Speaker McCarthy, How much more DMV residents will pay for healthcare, Husband of missing DC real estate executive arrested, Virginia H.S. Frederick, which seems worlds away rather than a mere 20 minutes, has benefitted from its MARC train station, which has grown the town into a bedroom community of D.C. Its also close enough to Baltimore that people make the I-70 commute. Ten years ago, the Hagerstown native started having seizures once or twice a week that left his muscles tense, his bones aching, and his head feeling like it might explode. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. A Hagerstown pawn shop. Hagerstown, MD 4 days ago. February 21, 2023. Joshua Reed, one count of distribution of heroin. All it takes is a little fentanylor a microgram of carfentanyl, which is 100 times more potent. Indirectly, they could have a hand at reversing the public health crises in the long run, civic leaders say. In recent decades, theyve swapped roles. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of crack cocaine, with a street value of approximately $471,000. . But he moved his family to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, leaving Hagerstown behind. Some folksa waitress with an apron tied around her waist, a guyin construction gearare clearly stopping by on their way to a job. Across the country, rural addiction rates have surpassed those in urban areas, yet there is still not a single inpatient drug treatment facility in Washington County. 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. "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. 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. Maybe 10-15 percent dont give you any problem and are trying to do the right thing, says Lee Green, an addictions counselor who is also an active member of a 12-step program. People began to say, Oh, if it can happen to that family, it can happen to my family, Sterling says. Joseph Archie Spain III, 44, of Preston, Maryland. George Alfred Butler, 56, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Law enforcement determined that the reported vehicle was registered to Smith and that the unit had been rented to Smith under a fraudulent New York State drivers license that bore Smiths photograph and the alias Michael Silver. Grant briefly escaped, fleeing while handcuffed, and was captured a short distance away, Kerns said. Because of that, its residents have more money and higher expectations, and a strong restaurant base and downtown arts and culture district has grown there, sustained by its community. Having beautiful open spaces is important, and its important to have a connection to your community, says city engineer Rodney Tissue, who moved to Hagerstown in 1986 and raised his two daughters here. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. 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. Several weapons were seized, including two stolen handguns, as well as rifles and shotguns, Kerns said. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Jim Robison, Director for the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. Thats a lot of drugs, Kerns said Wednesday in a phone interview. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The drug task force is comprised of sworn law enforcement officers and contributionsfrom theCaroline County Sheriff's Department, Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Caroline County States Attorney's Office, and the Denton Police Department. Call (240) 382-2757 or get your auth barcode quickly online. In 2009, an old theater was transformed into BISFA, a magnet arts high school. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland, and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit. He liked the feeling the Vicodin gave him and began to sometimes take the pills just for that hydrocodone buzz. Patrica Diaz,four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. We kind of got shit pie handed to us., Source: Maryland Vital Statistics Administration. You can imagine as a police officer and a father how I felt, Simmers says. Doctor Explains. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. While he fled, Grant fell and injured himself, Kerns said. As a result of the executed search warrant at Smiths storage unit, law enforcement located 15.4 grams of heroin, 8.9 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, digital scales with suspected heroin residue, numerous small plastic baggies, and a glass jar containing a suspected cutting agent. He was released after posting his $5,000 bond. Jazzmen Vaughn, one count distribution of heroin and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Those kind of manufacturing jobs generally pulled up stakes for cheaper labor in the South or overseas, a trend that has continued. 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. (DG) - A sex trafficking operation was dismantled in Washington County. He is being held at the Washington County Detention Center on a $80,000 bond. Big out-of-town industries such as Fairchild Aircraft, which once employed 10,000 people and closed its plant in 83, and Mack Trucks, which arrived in 1961 (and still makes trucks here, although it employs fewer people), were controlled from a distance and had no stake in the community, Elliott asserts. Two drug busts were done on Wednesday after a three month investigation discovered a drug trafficking organization in the area. Prosecutors alleged they conspired to sell 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine and . I cannot count the number of friends who have died after I almost did, says Katie Wetzel, 27, a recovering addict in Hagerstown who is now married with three kids. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Others walk from nearby apartments. Including Brookes father. In a town with two traditional public high schoolsNorth High and South Highit has become the norm for incoming generations to attend several funerals before seeing their first classmate get married. 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. The huge A&W Johnston clock, first built in 1836 and later refurbished, still stands four stories above the town square in a period brick building. We have more kids living with their grandparents and a greater need for foster parents. Woolford is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. Andrew Clopper, one count of distribution of heroin. A Hagerstown appliance store owner is charged with using it as a front for an illegal drug operation estimated to havehandled millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, according to federal authorities. Torri Deann Richardson, 37, and Roger Dean Saylor III, 30, were. Gregory Lovern Williams Jr., 39, of Federalsburg, Maryland. While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. a view from the abandoned hospital parking garage across from the antietam street clinic. NOW PLAYING ABOVE. On June 29, the task force said agents presented cases to a Grand Jury that resulted in the indictment of 16 Hagerstown residents. Christina Trenton Nee, COO, and Charlie Mooneyhan, CEO, of Wells House. The steel tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad started carrying locomotives from Baltimore in the same direction, straight through the heart of Hagerstown, two years after the end of the Civil War. seventy-five miles west of Baltimore, the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. Kimberly Thompson, one count of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. I mean you can kind of look at it as a small part of the community that we you know are dealing with but we know its not just at the end of security road, washignton gardens that end of town, its all over the town, said Sgt. Officials in Frederick and Washington Counties seized over $90,000 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine inside of a Hagerstown home. on the U.S. Department of Justice website. Dwayne Unglebower, four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. The rest of the state did not share that history, and Hagerstown and towns like it are dealing with something entirely new. "That is a snapshot, one day in the time of this case so that tells you that over the whole year of the investigation the breadth of this conspiracy and this illegal enterprise," Bernard said. According to his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, law enforcement received an anonymous tip from a Hagerstown, Maryland storage facility customer reporting that an individual driving a large SUV and a storage unit conducted a suspected drug deal at the facility. Walter Javier Martinez, 17, was last seen in the area of Wellington Court and may have left in a blue vehicle. Police seized more than 80 pounds of meth, 200 bags of fentanyl, more than two dozen guns and $135,000 in cash in a massive drug bust in Montgomery County. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Contact WCNTF if you have information on these persons (301) 791-3205, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of wanted persons). The epidemic has not peaked yet by any means, says Mike Piercy, director of the Washington County Department of Social Services. Simmers, an outgoing, thick-shouldered 53-year-old, joined the military out of high school in the early 1980s with the intention of going into law enforcement. The following people were indicted during the investigation: Justin Aaron Spain, 41, of Lanham, Maryland. Its low-income, and I think its hard for people to find and keep employment there, he says. (Currently affiliated with the Nationals, the Suns draw a South Atlantic league-low 896 fans per game; Frederick led the Carolina League in attendance from 2012-2016, attracting nearly 5,000 fans a game.). Its a huge step forward. Additionally, in Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. 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. Hagerstown built automobiles, bottled Coca-Cola, made shoes, clothing, furniture, and Breyers ice cream, and was the worlds largest manufacturer of pipe organs. Washington County > Washington County Maryland Narcotics Task Force. Two additional private methadone treatment centers have since opened in the area, not to mention the Washington County Health Departments outpatient addiction program, which treated more than 11,000 patients between 2013 and its closing this spring due to state budget cuts. "The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive.". A mortality rate increase for any first-world demographic group had been virtually unheard of for decades, with the exception of Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a phenomenon blamed on soaring alcoholism rates. This isnt political. The man seemed nervous. Lock Beckette was charged with three counts each of intent to distribute narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. 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. 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. A local taxi company sporadically drops people off. From the early 1970s onward, there was a vacuumeconomically, socially, politically, culturally. Simms is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. Politically, Washington County has always tilted right. Opioid crisis:Hagerstown, Washington County closer to seeing some opioid settlements, Drug deaths:Fatal drug overdoses hit record levels during COVID. Grant was treated at Meritus Medical Center and released to authorities, Kerns said. Local Hagerstown, MD. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Washington street leading east at the hagerstown public square in 1957. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Some of them were done outside, some were done in the apartments, numerous kids were in the area playing, numerous people out and about, said Sgt. At that time, police apprehended Beckette, who was inside the duplex, Kerns said. If you are in immediate danger dial 911. Frederick County Sheriff's Office Assists In Taking Down Major Drug Operation In Hagerstown Last Week February 13, 2023 - 3:40 pm Five people were arrested; large quantities of drugs confiscated. All rights reserved. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. Its nearly impossible to find a family, including those among the Hagerstown Police Department and City Council, that has not been affected by the towns still-escalating opioid epidemic. Its hope or heroin out here.. Images courtesy of Hagerstown police Department. Maybe longer. HAGERSTOWN (WJZ) --Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. 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. The loot was wrapped in bundles. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. West Virginia State Police have denied a request to release dash camera footage or body camera footage of an incident on Feb. 12 on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, W.Va., in which a Hagerstown man died after a struggle with a trooper. I wanted to be in narcotics. Margerette Derosiers, 28, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Washington Daily Voice serves the towns of: Boonsboro, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Hagerstown, Halfway, Maugansville, Paramount-Long Meadow, Robinwood, Smithsburg. Rise of a street boss By 1973,. Though extreme, the transition seemed gradual. Justin Ernest Riggs, 33, was arrested Saturday and is accused of leaking information to a drug trafficking organization . 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. 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. The Frederick Police Department is seeking assistance locating a 17-year-old male, who has been missing since June. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. Low 33F. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. The homes that were searched were in Preston, Hurlock, Federalsburg, Lanham and Crofton. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. Consider, for example, that three of the four railroad properties on the Monopoly board were spokes in that Hagerstown hub, connecting the city to Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York. Hagerstown is still a meat and potatoes kind of place, says Elliott. Kevin Simmers, a retired Hagerstown police officer, lost his 19-year-old daughter to an overdose and is now building a womens recovery center, Brookes House. The team lost its Orioles affiliation in the 1980s when the Os said goodbye to Hagerstown and hello to nearby Frederick. The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines in Caroline and Dorchester counties and parts of Delaware. William Miller, one count of distribution of heroin. All Rights Reserved. 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. High 56F. He moved toThe Frederick News-Postin 1989 but lived in Hagerstown until 2000. And now, Hagerstowns unique coordinates, once its greatest asset, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis. Cameron Tibbs, one counts of distribution of heroin.