High 78F. Morgantown News Delivered to Your Inbox Each Week! Seized in this stop were 5 ounces of pure Fentanyl, 8 ounces of Crack Cocaine, 1 ounce of Heroin, 13 ounces of Heroin & Fentanyl mix, a 40-caliber handgun and $16,470 in U.S. currency. Authorities estimate the value of the drugs at $8.5 million. Rain likely. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. According to the sheriffs office, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorneys office assisted in nabbing $6.5 million in drugs, guns and cash linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa Cartel. Up until his arrest, Ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more than filling prescriptions written by doctors. Sign up for . Under oath, Wooley said he didnt remember ever seeing articles in trade magazines warning about escalating opioid addiction, or patients going from one doctor to another in search of multiple prescriptions. The campaign which was conducted under the banner of Operation Angels Envy - reportedly began in 2017, and concluded in February 2020. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather. In addition to Mota, the news release listed those indicted in connection with the alleged operation as: All but 11 of the defendants had been arrested as of Wednesday. Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. Twenty minutes drive to the north, the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in the village of Kermit, population 280 and falling, was outstripping them both. Todays effort is not targeting addicts or corner dealers but trafficking organizations that have made Huntington an unfortunate target of their profits, Stuart said. Authorities seized nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamines worth roughly $18 . Sheriff Mellinger said majority of the arrests are felony drug charges along with other related crimes. But plenty of prescriptions were written in his name. Use the 'Report' link on Gross sales surged above $6.5m. 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. As of Thursday afternoon, 90 of the 100 people law enforcement officials were seeking had been rounded up, said Fayette County Prosecutor Larry Harrah. Chance of rain 90%. I thought, My God, almost 9m pills in two years went out of here, and Wooley said that he made $500,000 a month in a little town of 400 people.. ELKINS, W.Va. -- Two dozen people face federal drug and gun charges following an investigation in Virginia and West Virginia, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld. It doesnt give the opportunity for information to get spread throughout the illegal drug community, he said. Marshals Service and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were among the agencies involved in the mass arrest, as well as the West Virginia State Police, Summersville Police Department, Nicholas County Sheriffs Department, Richwood Police Department, Fayette County Sheriffs Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Oak Hill Police Department, Mount Hope Police Department and the Montgomery Police Department. Ciccarelli had come from pursuing Colombian cartels in Florida, but he already knew West Virginia well from working the drug beat as a police officer in the early 1980s. The last thing we want is for the US Postal Service to become the nations largest drug dealer and there are people way above my pay grade working on that, but absolutely its about putting pressure on the Chinese, Terwilliger said. WVU faculty weigh in on aftermath of chemical spill, Clay County native honored by FBI for accomplishments as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chocolate chemistry explained by a food scientist, Sweets with a Swiss twist for Valentine's Day, Ask an expert: 7 most common questions about automatic home generators, One A Day: Small Daily Acts of Self-Care Go a Long Way to Health. Copen, Samuel Bo Copen, Jesse Copen, Sandy Copen, Nikki Copen, Stacy Williams, Brandon Carpenter, Debbie Wright, Jessica Ward, Karrisa Griffith, Terry Lewis, Sammy Kesterson, Brenda Gray, Janet McKinney, T.J. Sweet, Belinda Seabolt, Warren Ryder, Mandy Hinkle, Rick Wright, Chris Harris, Kelly Potter, Stacy Hanshaw, Sandra Cartwright, Earl Taylor, Witley Cogar, Dave Lawrence, Misty Russell, Sam Griffith, Chris Redden, Coy Gwinn, Randy Tinney, Matt Shaffer, Charlie Thomas, Miranda Puckett, n Summersville area: Brittany Potter, Jason Dancy, Bart Legg, Crystal Cook, Mark Grose, J.R. Ellison, n Craigsville area: Danny Holmes, Jason Johnson, Rick Meadows, John Hall,Nikki Myers, Candice Bess, Amber Farley, Stacey Bays, Candy Dillard, Tim Wright, Andy Rose, n Birch River area: Donna Gregory, Rebecca Morris, John Criss, Pat Dillion, n Mount Nebo/Ennon areas: Andrew Haas, Matt Lipps, Edward Stricker, Eddie Hughes, n Ansted/Fayetteville/Oak Hill/Mount Hope areas: Zach Hodge, Andy Walton, Watrina Jackson, Patty Adkins, Jackie Young, Chelsie Adkins, Christa Smith, William Smith, Austin Smith, Jericho Wriston, Shannon ODell, Jerome Comer, Michael Stanley, Michael Payne, Marcus Brisco, Keri Jacobowski, Trisha McMillan, Aaron Pack, Travis Hopkins, Jareth Myers, n Gauley Bridge/Smithers/Montgomery/Powellton/WV Route 61 areas: Michael Schoolcraft, Eddie Young, Joey Given, Yvonne Legg, Speedy Legg, George Leake III, Jeff Evans, Eric Perez, Cameron Cochron, Rayshawn Payne, Shawn Patton, Bubby Fragale, Barry Mitchell, Kevin Smith. The alleged co-conspirators purchased and received narcotics from suppliers in Mexico, California, and New York, then smuggled the narcotics to locations in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, according to authorities. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. I came from Point Pleasant. Its hard to believe that was allowed.. 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. The longest drug-smuggling tunnel ever was discovered on April 20, 2016, spanning the U.S.-Mexico border. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown toBerkeley County, West Virginia, between August2020and June of this year, according to a news release from Bernard's office. Investigators said the bust is the largest drug haul in the world in terms of both value and quantity. He also added that the arrests made were primarily for felony crimes: The majority of the operations are all felony investigations, you have a few misdemeanors sprinkled in but those misdemeanor cases are complementary of the felony investigations, Sheriff Mellinger told WSAZ. He will be sentenced in July. The doctors were careful to insist their prescriptions were filled only at pharmacies that would take the money and not ask questions. Suddenly Tug Valley opens, out of the blue, in 2006. Law enforcement officials are encouraging members of the public who have information concerning the suspects involved to contact authorities. One individual charged had been deported in 2014 and reentered the US illegally. Terrence McGuirk, 51, who was jailed after the historic "Project Parkersburg" drug bust, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Bruce said Eversole was arrested without incident during the bust and was transported to the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta. Published: Sep. 13, 2020 at 1:02 PM PDT. Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood said the arrests and seizures of drugs represent "more to this community than just numbers on a page.". Winds light and variable.. Clear skies. Oh Baby - two of FOX 5 DC's evening anchors announce they're pregnant! Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Commander Domenico Napolitano, head of the financial police for the city of Naples, told CNN . It boggles my mind, said Sparks, the mayor. But at the front end were thousands of pharmacies dispensing the pills, and among the pharmacists were profiteers. You stack those things up and a jurys finally going to say, I dont believe this.. In my 37 years, that is the biggest stop and the biggest amount of drugs seized from a one-vehicle stop that Ive ever seen.. 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According to a news release from the drug task force that was sent out Thursday morning, investigators spent the majority of this summer identifying criminal suspects allegedly involved in the sale and distribution of numerous controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine and prescription pills, in central West Virginia. The circle was complete. Be Nice. Washington County Prosecutor Nicole . He said 30 arrests were made as of midday Tuesday in the states second-largest city. Ballengee was arrested in July, days after an Ohio court released Drug Enforcement Administration documents showing that pharmaceutical distributors delivered millions of opioid pills to his tiny pharmacy. After 50-year 'war on drugs,' has anyone won? The boards punishment was to require him to write a book report on a medical textbook called Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physicians Guide. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Rattini is accused of distributing narcotic painkillers illegally to more than 200 pharmacies across West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. The warrant was obtained through Circuit Court Judge J.W. This week's most popular news from around the State. A Warner Bros. Weather Alerts. Ellifrtiz said the confiscated drugs definitely came from out of the area and were not manufactured locally. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid . They pointed him to Mingo county. Barnett, who owned Family Pharmacy, also professed not to know the reputation of the Wellness Center or that it had a list of acceptable pharmacies for patients to fill opioid prescriptions and that his was on it. According to Keyser Police Chief Jared Bruce, the officers confiscated approximately an ounce of cocaine base (crack), 10 ounces of cocaine HCL, two pounds of methamphetamine (ice / crystal meth), approximately 10,000 pressed fentanyl tablets, 150 pounds of marijuana, 327 THC vape cartridges, five firearms, three vehicles and an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency. Temperatures in Virginia. Special offers from businesses around your area. LEE COUNTY, Fla. Deputies arrested six people Wednesday in the largest drug bust to ever hit Lee County. READ MORE: Trump supporter charged with assault after blowing on women near Virginia Trump club. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia. We want people to know we are in this fight and were going to keep on it, he said. At the Disco breaking up after almost 20 years of music (FlipSide). Ihlenfeld said warrants were executed for charges including the possession and distribution of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. But Smith quickly discovered that users were happy to tell him where he could find doctors to write prescriptions and drug stores to fill them no questions asked. Manchin Hand-Delivers Tax Cut Warning to the Statehouse. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. "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. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown to Berkeley County, West Virginia, between. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. Fifty years ago this summer, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. The illicit fentanyl thats coming in, the vast majority is from China and a lot of it is coming in through the mails, he said at a press conference announcing the arrests. Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox. Untied States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld (center) along with Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Rachel Romano (right) and Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker (left) talks about a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that led to the arrests of 87 people in a North Central West Virginia drug bust. To the watching investigators, the stone building with a peaked red roof looked more like a rural cabin than a fount for the millions of opioid pills spilling across Appalachia. In 2017, the West Virginia board of pharmacy dismissed its director for failing to properly regulate the flood of opioids to the states pharmacies and investigate suspicious deliveries. Copyright 2021 WSAZ. Each day, hundreds of people lined up outside an old animal feed store where a group of doctors were set up by a former pimp, just out of federal prison for running a gay prostitution ring in Washington DC, to churn out opioid prescriptions faster than West Virginias major hospitals. The arrests were part of the Project Huntington initiative Stuart announced on March 15 to involve more federal prosecutors in a crackdown on gun and violent crime and drug trafficking in Huntington. Operation Tranquilandia was led by the DEA in 1984. Today's Outlook. Area listings from Your Bulletin Board with regular updates. Kenneth Eversole, 44, was arrested late afternoon Dec. 1, when law enforcement from a multitude of agencies conducted a search-and-seizure warrant on his residence at 197 Mozelle St. in Keyser. PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that his office's "Kensington Initiative" netted its sixth major . All those arrested were transported to previously established areas for processing before being transported to magistrate courts for their arraignments. The investigation also led to takedowns in California, Missouri, Ohio, New England and New York. Chance of rain 90%. Support local journalism. Both men are currently in the North Regional Jail. Officers with the Elkins Police Department said Wednesday they were glad to have taken those [] Some suspects switched phones regularly and used prepaid cell phones that did not need a subscribers name. We won't share it with anyone else. When officers stopped the vehicle, they could smell the odor of marijuana. Scientists believe genetically-engineered blight-resistant trees will bring them back, Saving our applause until the curtain falls, Newel Health Awarded $2.5M Research Grant from The Michael J. Large amounts of suspected fentanyl, heroin and cocaine were seized from the operation before the sweep, including enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people. Miguel Angel Santiago Caraballo, 30, of Chambersburg, Pa. Updated: Apr 9, 2018 / 11:04 PM EDT. Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron . In 2001, the West Virginia bureau of criminal investigation sent Smith to investigate a surge of opioids pills on the streets. This big drug bust is similar to the others because it's linked to -- you guessed it -- cocaine. Bernard said agents serveda search warrant at the store in June and seized approximately $500,000 worth of drugs, including a kilogram of heroin and nine kilograms of cocaine. No one should have to be in that situations. This is a continual battle; these officers are right back at it tomorrow morning.. The list comes in, you print out the name, slap a tag on the bottle. Everyone was going along with it.. person will not be tolerated. 2. Im sitting here looking at this. Create a password that only you will remember. You have to do an investigation before you can stop something like that. 4:18 PM EDT, Fri August 30, 2019, Dr. Gupta explains why opioids so addictive. In 1995, the US Coast Guard carried out a huge drug bust off the coast of Peru, which at the time was the biggest drug bust on the high seas, though it would soon be topped. Chris McGreal is the author of American Overdose, The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The Wellness Center was churning out so many opioid prescriptions that the fax machine couldnt keep up.. Among those arrested were the ringleaders, one in Huntington and two in Detroit, of a group that had been operating in Huntington for nearly 15 years. Within a few months, Wooley was filling an opioid prescription a minute in a town of fewer than 400 people. Officers then searched the vehicle and found several grams of methamphetamine and drug-using instruments. At least one suspect ordered fentanyl from a vendor in Shanghai that was successfully mailed through US Postal Service to Newport News, Virginia, according to the indictment. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. On one day in August 2016, more than two dozen people in Huntington overdosed on heroin during a five-hour span. Student loan borrowers are left in limbo on the exact date for when they will have to begin repayments after a three-year pause from the coronavirus pandemic. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. highways in biggest drug bust in Broome's history We won't share it with anyone else. Roughly enough Heroin to supply an estimated 500,000 heroin users for a month. The street value of the seized material is estimated at $372,700. "The origins of the sheriff's department date back to 1850 when this was the Wild West," the sheriff said. The bust resulted in a confiscation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was worth around $1.2 billion at the time. They shipped more narcotic painkillers to Mingo county per head of population than to any other place in the US. Find out what's happening around the state with this weekly email alert sent every Thursday evening! Operation Angels Envy also had a far-reaching impact throughout the DMV. The Best News for Buckhannon and Upshur County! 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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. He tells the Panhandle News Network it was a record-breaking seizure. Share with Us. You have permission to edit this article. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Tiano lost his medical licence. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. The city of 48,000 residents along the Ohio River had a record 19 homicides last year, up from three in 2015. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. When we saw that the largest operation in the past was 92, we immediately said why not shoot for 100, said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger. Spring fire season means fire burning guidelines. Of those arrested, 54 are from Clarksburg. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. In December, Easton admitted to selling. Subscribe today. How dangerous was the Ohio chemical train derailment? 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. WV's largest drug bust underway Joel Ebert Aug 27, 2015 Nationally-Recognized, Quality Local Journalism.. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Mountain State's Trusted News Source.. Four different education bills were voted on in both chambers. 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. But theyve hit a snag, Student debt is a crisis: Activists rally outside Supreme Court for loan forgiveness, Tensions rise in Nigeria as opposition demands new vote. 9. BRIDGEPORT In a collaborative effort from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, more than 80 people have been charged in one of the biggest drug busts in North Central West. The Jackson County Bureau of Investigations spearheaded the investigation with the aid of officers from the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, United States Marshal, Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. In some cases, the defendants face penalties of five to 40 years in prison, 20 years in prison and 10 years to life, Bernard said. JCSO officials say "Operation Centennial Sweep" totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. They didnt go for that, he said. 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. JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Over 100 people are now facing charges after Jackson County Sheriff's Department lead what they say is the largest drug warrant sweep in the history of the. Sign up for the only WV Government and Business newsletter delivered each week! Years later, all of the pharmacists claim to have not seen any of this. Daily News, Sports and Events for Marion County. accounts, the history behind an article. By Marsha Chwalik. Before long, it was outselling its rivals in town. Shorty wanted to be a "Thug". Those days are over, Stuart said. Sign up to get our statewide obits delivered to your inbox daily. On his way out the door, having made more than $250,000 from opioid prescribing in just two years, the doctor recruited his successor, Dr Augusto Abad, who lived 90 minutes away in the state capital, Charleston, and rarely saw patients. Operation Angels Envy eventually stretched to seven states and resulted in more than 30 arrests, the seizure of more than 100 firearms; $6 million in cash, jewelry and other valuables; 473 pounds . Daily updates from Blue Gold News for WVU sports. 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. Something similar was going on at the Tug Valley Pharmacy and Hurleys in Williamson. Daily news from the Mineral News & Tribune delivered to your email! Success! Then right in the middle of this drug trafficking organisation, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it. Drug distributors delivered more than 30m opioid pills just to those three pharmacies, in one of the poorest counties in America. 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What officials are calling the largest mass arrest of drug offenders in West Virginia history occurred Thursday when 100 people were targeted for reportedly committing more than 300 drug offenses. These junkies would forge prescriptions, and back in the pre-computer days I can remember standing in pharmacies going through prescriptions going, thats a junkie, thats a junkie, these are false scripts, said Ciccarelli, who has since died, in 2017. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force . Don't Miss it! JCSO officials say Operation Centennial Sweep totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. These arrests are the culmination of that effort. Closings & Delays. Hes a fine fella, said Charles Sparks, Kermits mayor then and now. Don't Miss it! Earlier this year, McKesson paid the state $37m to settle the suit. The alleged. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Daily News, Sports and Events for Garrett County and surrounding areas. Ihlenfeld said nine of those charged were already incarcerated. 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. The citizens would come and say, Why dont you do something about that up there? The average person doesnt know or doesnt stop and think that you cant just go in. Report a Closing. CNN Authorities arrested 35 people and seized enough fentanyl to kill roughly 14 million people in a three-state drug bust announced on Thursday by the US Justice Department. Courrier. 2023 Cable News Network. Its a continual operation and I think its a little bit of a wake up call for a lot of folks in the county, said Sheriff Mellinger. High 74F. Get the Jackson News Weekly delivered to your inbox! C in Belpre, and 949 Lancaster St., Marietta. Don't Threaten. So he went to the West Virginia board of pharmacy. 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.. MARTINSBURG, W.Va.Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force every day, but last month, they outdid themselves. Sheriff Mellinger said their target list had 113 names, with outstanding warrants, on it and their goal was to cross all the of them out with a two-day operation. 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. 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Communities are demanding $ 2.5 billion in compensation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was conducted under the of! Drug trafficking organisation, you print out the name, slap a tag on the Iron and newsletter... States second-largest city, in one of the blue, in 2006 the area were., Fla. Deputies arrested six people Wednesday in the states second-largest city store owners kept the! Been deported in 2014 and reentered the US pharmacies, in 2006 anyone?! Know of abusive posts, I dont believe this of this 15 mph.. Thunderstorms evening! Bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure in August 2016, more than two dozen people Huntington. Is estimated at $ 372,700 fine fella, biggest drug bust in west virginia Sparks, the West Virginia Board of pharmacy River a... To recover it using your email address County and surrounding areas methamphetamines worth roughly $ 18 the Regional. Drugs definitely came from out of the men and women of his force keep on it he. Be displayed next to your inbox require him to write a book on... New York city you guessed it -- cocaine Huntington overdosed on heroin during a five-hour span that there... Charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and among pharmacists!

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