Crime Correspondent

Arrested: Trinh, Phuong T. 34, Rockford

Arrested: Trinh, Phuong T. 34, Rockford

Arrested: Trinh, Phuong T. 34, Rockford Charge: Seven counts - Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine) within 1,000 feet of a ...

Neil Andrew Knickle was ordered to serve 20 months on house arrest as part of a two-year conditional sentence

Neil Andrew Knickle was ordered to serve 20 months on house arrest as part of a two-year conditional sentence handed down September 23. He'll be on a curfew for the final four months. The conditional sentence will be followed by a year on probation.Mr. Knickle, 42, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and carelessly storing firearms stemming from a search at his home on August 8, 2007.Federal prosecutor Josh Bryson told the court police believed Mr. Knickle was a significant player in the local cocaine scene. They arrested him and searched the home where he lived with his two children, finding 312 grams of cocaine in the maintenance area of a hot tub in the master bathroom.Officers also seized several sets of scales, 13 boxes of small plastic bags, cash, a handgun and a plate containing cocaine residue.They found three shotguns and a rifle which were improperly stored in the basement.The cash has since been returned to Mr. Knickle after an investigation determined it was not related to drug activity.Quoting case law that called the sale of cocaine an "evil trade," "poison" and "despicable," Mr. Bryson said Mr. Knickle made the decision to sell from his residence knowing his two teen children lived there. He said it was one of the largest cocaine seizures in this area, showing that Mr. Knickle had "extensive involvement" in the trade. "This is certainly a lot of cocaine for the streets," Mr. Bryson said, asking for a prison term of three and a half years.But defence lawyer Franceen Romney argued her client's involvement was not that extensive. He was using cocaine himself and selling it to five or six people. He had no prior criminal record."This whole procedure has had a devastating effect on his family," Ms Romney said. "Mr. Knickle is ashamed, embarrassed in front of the children and also the community for what has occurred."

Neil Andrew Knickle was ordered to serve 20 months on house arrest as part of a two-year conditional sentence

Neil Andrew Knickle was ordered to serve 20 months on house arrest as part of a two-year conditional sentence handed down September 23. He&#...

Royal Hall entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of a controlled substance

Royal Hall, 27, of Rombout Avenue, entered a guilty plea to criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, in proceedings in Dutch...

Jorge Mercado Alcocer, aka "Chino," whose hearing had been postponed from last week, was denied bond Monday

Jorge Mercado Alcocer, aka "Chino," was arrested Sept. 17 in El Paso along with eight other suspected members of a group that a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official said is linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel. Mercado, 29, whose hearing had been postponed from last week, was denied bond Monday by Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney. Mercado, who had his right foot bandaged and used crutches in court, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to smuggle and distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder money. The ring, identified by the DEA as the "Jorge Mercado Drug Trafficking Organization," was allegedly responsible for smuggling more than a ton of cocaine to cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Atlanta, a DEA agent testified in detention hearings for other suspected members. Drug proceeds were allegedly deposited out of state in Bank of America accounts and the cash would then be withdrawn in bulk a few days later at bank branches in El Paso. The DEA investigation included wire taps, surveillance and a cooperating defendant. A DEA agent testified Mercado was apparently unemployed but claimed that he was given money by his parents from apartments they own in Juarez. Following a wire-tapped phone call July 12, Mercado was stopped for a traffic violation while carrying about $31,000 in cash wrapped in green cellophane bundle, a DEA agent said.

Jorge Mercado Alcocer, aka "Chino," whose hearing had been postponed from last week, was denied bond Monday

Jorge Mercado Alcocer, aka "Chino," was arrested Sept. 17 in El Paso along with eight other suspected members of a group that a U....

Police arrested Dennis Corbett inside a Washington Ave. home around 4:30 a.m. after receiving a tip he was there.

Authorities say Corbett fled the scene of a traffic stop on the 18th of this month. He’s accused of having $14,000 worth of heroin stashed i...

Daniel Deandrade was the leader of “the Stratford Operation”, a crack ring in the Bronx.

Daniel Deandrade was sentenced in US District Court in Manhattan.According to court documents, from 1999 through November 2006, Deandrade wa...

Paulette Chambers and her mother Ambrozine Heron, were caught with a car full of the drug as they tried to drive through Dover ferry port

Paulette Chambers and her mother Ambrozine Heron, were caught with a car full of the drug as they tried to drive through Dover ferry port in March this year. Heron’s adapted Nissan Pathfinder was stopped by customs officials who discovered 40 food tins containing pure cocaine. Customs had become suspicious after the Pathfinder had made 14 trips to Holland to collect their shipments. It is thought Jamaican-born Heron, from Smethwick, West Midlands, was used as a cover for a major drug smuggling operation run by her daughter. Heron, who suffers from asthma, diabetes and arthritis, was stopped at Dover by customs officials already suspicious by the number of trips the Pathfinder had made to the continent since October last year. Sniffer dogs found two shopping bags on the back row of seats and investigators found 40 tins of palm oil containing the drugs worth just over £1 million. She now faces a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of the importation of Class A drugs at Canterbury Crown Court. Her daughter has already admitted her part in the smuggling operation. Edmund Anderson, a 47-year-old security guard was acquitted of any involvement. He allegedly told customs officers he had been on a three-day Easter holiday shopping trip in the south of France with the two women, but he allegedly later changed his story to claim he was just acting as a taxi driver for them. Despite the confusion of details, he was found innocent of being involved in the drug smuggling operation. The grandmother claimed Chambers had been having an affair with Mr Anderson, something he vehemently denied. He told the court he had no idea what went on after dropping the pair off at a flat in Almera, near Amsterdam. When questioned by police, Heron denied drug smuggling. She said: “I don’t know anything about that. “I just went with my daughter. I didn’t ask any questions because I’m not a nosy person. “I don’t smoke or drink. What am I doing with drugs?” Heron had lived in the Midlands since she arrived from Jamaica in 1949, and had never been in trouble with the police previously. The prosecution earlier this month told the court it found a Lloyds TSB bank account used by Chambers. It was found to have had more than £81,000 put into it a month before she was stopped at Dover. Police also found she had a Visa card in the company name of Everol Electricals. It was registered to the same address as her TSB account and had nearly £100,000 cash held in it between December 2007 and March 2008. Prosecutor Quentin Hunt said the bank accounts contained the proceeds from the group’s enterprise as drug traffickers. Both women will be sentenced next month.

Paulette Chambers and her mother Ambrozine Heron, were caught with a car full of the drug as they tried to drive through Dover ferry port

Paulette Chambers and her mother Ambrozine Heron, were caught with a car full of the drug as they tried to drive through Dover ferry port i...

Ruben de la Cruz is wanted for questioning.

Dominican Customs (DGA), Army and Drugs Control (DNCD) agents seized 127 packages of cocaine in an export warehouse located on 27 de Febrero...

Nina Freije was arrested Tuesday and faces two counts each of possession of a controlled substance

Nina Freije was arrested Tuesday and faces two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance ...

Joseph J. Pace Jr., 20, was charged with drug-induced aggravated battery inflicting great bodily harm

Joseph J. Pace Jr., 20, of the 11600 block of Bernice Avenue was charged with drug-induced aggravated battery inflicting great bodily harm, ...

Nguyen Thi Trang (24) claimed to be a student. She was arrested while boarding a Hanoi-bound flight

Nguyen Thi Trang (24) claimed to be a student. She was arrested while boarding a Hanoi-bound flight around 12.30 a.m. “The accused had conce...

Mohammed Yousaf,Ansar Iqbal, sentenced to eight years each

Mohammed Yousaf, of Normandy Road, Perry Barr, Ansar Iqbal, of Selston Road, Aston were sentenced to eight years each while Shaied Iqbal, of...

Emily Kattuk was first arrested on Sept. 15 as she arrived in Sanikluaq on a flight from Winnipeg.

Emily Kattuk was first arrested on Sept. 15 as she arrived in Sanikluaq on a flight from Winnipeg. Police allege cocaine was found in her lu...

Ricky James Montgomery, the former hotelier Bradley James Evans and a Maroubra man, Hayden Rodgers - were found guilty

Former South Sydney footballer Ricky James Montgomery, the former hotelier Bradley James Evans and a Maroubra man, Hayden Rodgers - were found guilty.Since then, their lawyers have raised concerns over the role of the then Crime Commission investigator Mark Standen, who faces drug charges, and his link with Steven James, the key Crown witness against them.three eastern suburbs men to conspire with others to import a large amount of cocaine.The plan, hatched in phone calls and during meetings between co-conspirators in Spain, Canada and at the Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club, was to import the drugs hidden in a truck that was being shipped from Panama to Sydney on a container ship.At Patrick's dock at Darling Harbour, dock workers known to one or more of the conspirators were to offload the truck and its contents, and take the drugs out of the terminal.But neither the Illinois-registered truck, nor its expected 30-kilogram illegal cargo, ever made it to Australia. Yesterday - more than six years after the conspiracy started and after two lengthy trials - the three men were sentenced for their roles.James, who had taken a leading role in the import plan, had misled the court at his own sentencing hearing and successfully minimised his role, Judge Peter Zahra found yesterday. He found he could not trust James's testimony unless it was corroborated and found Evans and Rodgers were not as involved in the conspiracy as Montgomery. All three would face a difficult time in prison because of the effect on their families, and various physical and psychological ailments, Judge Zahra ruled. Montgomery, who had a record, was sentenced to a minimum of nearly 11 years. Evans received a minimum prison term of seven years, and Rodgers was given a minimum six-year prison sentence.

Ricky James Montgomery, the former hotelier Bradley James Evans and a Maroubra man, Hayden Rodgers - were found guilty

Former South Sydney footballer Ricky James Montgomery, the former hotelier Bradley James Evans and a Maroubra man, Hayden Rodgers - were fou...

Lynne Wilson, a teacher at Treasure Coast High School, was arrested after she tried to return items for which she had not paid.

Lynne Wilson, a teacher at Treasure Coast High School, was arrested after she tried to return items for which she had not paid.Police said t...

Maria Guadalupe Trevino-Venegas, Laura Trevino and her sisters, Adriana and Evelia, have been convicted

Maria Guadalupe Trevino-Venegas, Laura Trevino and her sisters, Adriana and Evelia, have been convicted of conspiring and possessing with in...

Jose Carlos "Charlie" Hinojosa, 31, of Roma - who now faces multiple counts of conspiracy, drug smuggling and money laundering in the ongoing case.

Sheriff Reymundo "Rey" Guerra has not been named in the 17-count indictment against more than 10 men and women accused of working with the Gulf Cartel.But a case file partially unsealed last week lists the warrant used to search his office among others described as "related" to the smuggling investigation.Federal authorities would not confirm Thursday whether the sheriff is expected to face any criminal charges in connection with the case or whether he is suspected of any wrongdoing at all.Guerra declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.Agents executed a sealed search warrant on Guerra's Rio Grande City office on Sept. 4, taking boxes filled with documents, electronic equipment and photos.Investigators also seized a "gold-colored badge" from a safe under the sheriff's desk and an evidence bag filled with "a green leafy substance" from a drawer in the office, according to the federal receipt drawn up after the seizure.Two days earlier, authorities targeted a residence belonging to Jose Carlos "Charlie" Hinojosa, 31, of Roma - who now faces multiple counts of conspiracy, drug smuggling and money laundering in the ongoing case.Federal prosecutors allege Hinojosa and more than nine associates smuggled more than 2 tons of marijuana and 1,200 pounds of cocaine into the United States. Then, they reportedly helped move nearly half a million dollars in proceeds from narcotics sales back south across the border.Agents took several documents, stacks of cash wrapped in cellophane and magazines of ammunition during their search of Hinojosa's home, court documents state.He was arrested the same day as part of a nationwide sweep of men and women suspected of working with the Gulf Cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization that controls smuggling routes from Nuevo Laredo in the west to Matamoros in the east. U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said during a news conference last week that 175 cartel members and associates - including Hinojosa and his alleged accomplices - had supplied drug markets in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, New York and even Italy.The 15-month investigation - dubbed "Project Reckoning" - involves several separate cases in federal courts across the country. But nearly all feature links to the Rio Grande Valley because of its status as the Gulf Cartel's primary smuggling corridor, federal investigators said Thursday. In all, more than 23 Valley residents have been indicted nationwide and several more people are expected to come under prosecutorial scrutiny as the names of several yet unnamed defendants are released.But it remains unclear whether Sheriff Guerra will be one of them.As Starr County's top law enforcement official, he polices a region with one of the highest rates of drug trafficking in the country.He succeeded Eugenio "Gene" Falcon as sheriff in 1998, after Falcon was charged with accepting bribes from a bail bondsman.

Jose Carlos "Charlie" Hinojosa, 31, of Roma - who now faces multiple counts of conspiracy, drug smuggling and money laundering in the ongoing case.

Sheriff Reymundo "Rey" Guerra has not been named in the 17-count indictment against more than 10 men and women accused of working ...

Byronell Arline was arrested on a cocaine possession charge by the New Port Richey Police Department

Byronell Arline was arrested on a cocaine possession charge by the New Port Richey Police Department at 12:19 a.m. Sunday. He was released t...

Indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine, or both, included the accused ringleader of the organization, Bertario Santos-Rojas,

Indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine, or both, included the accused ringleader of the organization, Bertario Santos-Rojas, 36, of Auburn, and three cousins, all of them brothers: Ignacio Pena-Garcia, 32, Jose Vidal-Barraza, 21, and Antonio Rojas-Perez, who is being held by immigration.Others arrested include: Maria Baez, 30, Jesus Yordani Moreno Zuarez, 20, Nestor Cruz-Santiago, 22, Baltazar Davila Cervantes, 24, Christian Ruelas-Ortiz, 22, Martin Miguel Velasco, 30, Daniel Roberto Lopez-Lopez, 24, Simon Ruiz Garcia, 37, Maura Meza, 24 and Georgina Fernandez, 22.Also arrested and indicted was Daryl Shears, 43, of Renton, accused of being one of Rojas' best customers, allegedly buying as many as 15 kilos of cocaine a month.Felicia Bowen, 36, an Eastside real estate agent, also was among those arrested. Bowen, who had served time in prison, was featured last year in a local publication for her reputed success in going straight. At one point during the investigation, agents stopped a vehicle leaving Bowen's Renton home, finding a duffel bag holding 15 bricks of suspected cocaine, each block 8 inches long and just as thick. In the passenger seat was Bowen's teenage son and behind the wheel was the boy's friend. Neither of the juveniles was indicted in the federal case.The yearlong investigation was set off by what was initially a routine event -- the arrest in January 2007 of a petty drug dealer in downtown Seattle, police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said.That dealer provided valuable information, Kerlikowske said.U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan said a series of phone taps authorized by the Federal Wiretap Act were key to making the arrests. Agents were able to listen to hours of conversation between the defendants as they allegedly arranged drug sales and purchases. "We were getting it from the horse's mouth," Moorin said. Even so, agents had to interpret the conversations, peppered with code words for cocaine such as "girls," "white cars," "paint" and sometimes "snow." Authorities allege that customers in the Seattle region would place their orders with some of the defendants, who made arrangements with contacts in Mexico to have the drugs smuggled into the United States, typically hiding the material in vehicles. One vehicle, a Cadillac Escalade, was stopped by Oregon State Police in November 2007 and seized when a drug-sniffing dog found evidence of narcotics. A search later revealed 31 kilos of cocaine and $11,000 in cash hidden in the vehicle's speakers. Rojas was a passenger in the vehicle, but not arrested at the time while the investigation continued.On Sept. 10, authorities allegedly learned through surveillance and phone taps that some of the defendants were arranging to deliver 15 kilos of cocaine to Shears at Bowen's home. Investigators moved in to make the arrests.But Rojas was not the peak. Federal agents said the Auburn man was very likely working for one of the Mexican drug cartels in Sinaloa, Mexico. "You don't do this on your own," Moorin said.In addition to the arrests, investigators seized 50 kilos of cocaine, 30 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly $1 million in cash, 23 vehicles and a boat.

Indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine, or both, included the accused ringleader of the organization, Bertario Santos-Rojas,

Indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine, or both, included the accused ringleader of the organization, Bertario San...

Gregory Kaczmarek former Schenectady police chief has been charged with conspiring to distribute drugs

former Schenectady police chief has been charged with conspiring to distribute drugs in upstate New York. Gregory Kaczmarek was arraigned al...

Stanley Richards allegedly had in his possession seven grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded not guilty

Stanley Richards, on Saturday September 20, allegedly had in his possession seven grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded not guilty. He is being represented by defense counsel Gary Ramlochand.In making a bail application, Ramlochand told the court that his client has a reputed wife and two children, and is the sloe breadwinner of his household.According to Ramlochand, on the day in question Richards was attending a funeral at Le Repentir cemetery where he was approached by the police, beaten in the public and searched.He told the court that the accused was subsequently taken to the Brickdam Police Station where he was striped naked, tortured and burnt with cigarettes. He said his client was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was treated for various injuries.The lawyer added that given the medical condition of his client bail should be granted, since the law says bail can be granted in special circumstances.However, police prosecutor Denise Griffith objected to bail on the ground that the law as it relates to narcotic charges is clear.She added that the part of the law which states that bail should be granted if a special reason is given relates to the offence and not to the offender.As it relates to the allegation leveled against the police about the accused being tortured, Griffith informed the defence that they should take whatever action necessary since they are aware of the law. The defence then asked for an independent medical examination to be done on his client.His request was, however, denied and bail was refused. Richards was remanded and is expected to make his next court appearance on October 1.

Stanley Richards allegedly had in his possession seven grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded not guilty

Stanley Richards, on Saturday September 20, allegedly had in his possession seven grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He pleade...

Enrique Araque Estrada, 52, and Rene Manuel Sanchez, 46, both of Phoenix, were charged for allegedly being in possession with the intent to distribute

Enrique Araque Estrada, 52, and Rene Manuel Sanchez, 46, both of Phoenix, were charged for allegedly being in possession with the intent to ...

Dwight David Shinaul,was charged with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute the drug

Dwight David Shinaul, 28, of Brooklyn Park, was charged with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute the drug, the offi...

Gang's local leader, Jose Diaz, was arrested July 30 on felony narcotics charges

Gang's local leader, Jose Diaz, was arrested July 30 on felony narcotics charges, she said.Investigators found $86,000, seized nearly 9 ...

Dwayne Loncke had in his possession two kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. To the charge he pleaded not guilty

Dwayne Loncke, appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.It is alleged that o...

Daniel King was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty in July to one count of structuring.

Daniel King was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty in July to one count of structuring. The charge involves making bank depos...

Devan A. Williams,was arrested charged with felony counts of trafficking and possession of cocaine

Devan A. Williams, 1259 Oxford Ave. NW, was arrested in the 600 block of Wilson Place NW, where police said he also was riding a stolen bicy...

Gareth Morley admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply

Gareth Morley, 27, turned would-be small- time commercial dealer because he wanted to make cash for Christmas. But he was caught after polic...

Shawn Pimpleton Officers found 4 ounces of crack and a loaded Glock .45 semi-automatic pistol in his pockets.

arrested Shawn Pimpleton, 31, during a traffic stop Dec. 23, 2007. Officers found 4 ounces of crack and a loaded Glock .45 semi-automatic pi...

Tyrell H. Gorham affiliated with the Bloods arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs

Tyrell H. Gorham, 23, of Elm Street, had been under investigation by the Kennebec Valley Drug Task Force, which includes Waterville police, police said Monday in a written statement.Detective Chris Paradis and Officer Duane Cloutier, working with task-force members from the Oakland Police Department and Kennebec Sheriff's Office, went to Gorham's Elm Street apartment at 1 p.m. Sunday, according to police. Gorham was on the porch, where police say they found a gram of crack cocaine in one of his pockets. During a search of his room in the apartment, police found 28 grams of crack cocaine, with a street value of about $3,000, the statement said. Gorham was arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, a Class A felony because of the amount of narcotics seized and the proximity of his apartment to two area schools -- the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers on Silver Street and the Albert S. Hall School on Pleasant Street.Police said Gorham claims to be affiliated with the Bloods, a national gang known for its violence and involvement in drug trafficking. He is originally from Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., police said."Since July of 2006, the Waterville Police Department has arrested or summonsed Gorham 18 times, for crimes ranging for driving offenses, possession of narcotics, terrorizing and assault," Police Chief Joseph Massey said. "To say that we characterize him as a danger to our community would be an understatement." A check of Gorham's criminal record shows arrests in New York for forgery and weapons possession, according to police.After his arrest, Gorham was taken to Kennebec County Jail to await arraignment, which is scheduled for December 9 in Augusta Superior Court. He was unable to raise $200,000 cash for his bail. Also arrested with Gorham was Nicholas Powell, 19, of Benton, who was at the Elm Street apartment and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, according to police. Like Gorham, Powell was unable to raise bail and was taken to jail.

Tyrell H. Gorham affiliated with the Bloods arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs

Tyrell H. Gorham, 23, of Elm Street, had been under investigation by the Kennebec Valley Drug Task Force, which includes Waterville police, ...

Wanda Elaine Folden admitted selling drugs in the Charleston area for 10 years

Wanda Elaine Folden, 41, pleaded guilty in July, admitting that she had 143 grams of crack on May 31, 2007, according to a news release from...

Lee R. Whitworth,Cheryl L. Smith charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine

Lee R. Whitworth, 56, of Belvidere was charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, within 1,000 f...

Arturo Alerja was in the bathroom of Farra's night club using and selling cocaine

Arturo Alerja, 30,was in the bathroom of Farra's night club using and selling cocaine at 1:04 a.m. Iowa City Police Sgt. Mike Brotherton, who responded to the bar, said the DOC officer was off-duty and not assisting in any police operations. Sgt. Troy Kelsay said Santiago told the bar staff about what he saw and helped to identify Alerja so the staff could decide what action to take. Kelsay said Santiago did not try to arrest or restrain Alerja. However, when the situation between the bar staff and Alerja escalated and became physical, Santiago helped to restrain him. When he arrived at the bar, Brotherton said Alerja was agitated, combative and ignoring commands to stop. Alerja assaulted the officers and bit Brotherton on the arm, causing an injury and breaking the skin. Brotherton said the injury did not require stitches.Alerja continued to resist until he was put in a squad car. He then refused to provide his name, date of birth and other information to the police, according to the criminal complaint. Brotherton said he's not even sure Alerja is the suspect's name and they are using finger prints to try to positively identify him."Nobody knows who this guy is," he said.Brotherton said no drugs were found, but he said Santiago saw Alerja snorting cocaine. Alerja was exhibiting symptoms consistent with using a stimulant such as cocaine, Brotherton said.Alerjo was charged with interference with official acts, assault on a peace officer and assault on a peace officer causing bodily injury.

Arturo Alerja was in the bathroom of Farra's night club using and selling cocaine

Arturo Alerja, 30,was in the bathroom of Farra's night club using and selling cocaine at 1:04 a.m. Iowa City Police Sgt. Mike Brotherton...

David Royston, Michael Ginnelly,ran the drugs racket from Mr Pickwicks in Leman Street, Whitechapel on the edge of the City.

Southwark Crown Court heard former currency broker Ginnelly even sold £100 worth of the class A drug while sitting in the car with his three children.David Royston, 44, and ex-currency broker Michael Ginnelly, 55, ran the drugs racket from Mr Pickwicks in Leman Street, Whitechapel on the edge of the City.Over 12 months the pair supplied cocaine in increasing amounts to a series of undercover police officers. Boasting he had 25 years experience in the drugs business, Ginnelly lived in a rundown council estate and fronted the deals while his partner in crime Royston drove around in a Rolls Royce and lived in a riverside apartment.The pair began as 'low level retailers' supplying a 'couple of Gs' for £100 at a time before progressing into 'wholesale traders', earning £8,500 for just one deal.As well as selling in the upstairs bar of Mr Pickwicks, Royston supplied wraps from his partner's insurance business down the street.The dealers even arranged a lunch meeting at the OXO Tower to discuss supplying two kilos of cocaine a month after two undercover cops posed as dealers based in Brighton.They were arrested on July 6 last year, after officers from the Met's Clubs and Vice Unit swooped after a 20-month operation called Telon.Ginnelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine between July 5, 2006 and July 7, 2007, and was sentenced to five years.Royston pleaded guilty to the same count and was given a six-year jail term.Passing sentence, Mr Recorder Phillip Katz QC said: 'What the pair of you are doing sitting here having gotten involved in this I really don't understand, it makes no sense to me.'You are both intelligent and successful men but there you are waiting for me to pass a sentence of imprisonment on you.'He continued: 'What this started out as was retailing cocaine from drinking premises above a bar in Leman Street. 'It was of a low level to people that you believed to be users and they were small amounts.'That went on for some months because the first evidence of a larger deal was not until December 2006 when Mr Ginnelly effectively supplied amounts for £1,000.'The judge added: 'After the OXO Tower meeting nine ounces was supplied for £8,500 by you because you had been tempted out of greed by the proposition that was put to you by these undercover officers to up the stakes.'I don't think this was entrapment, I don't think there was anything wrong with this, I think this was the officers in the case seeing how far you were prepared to go.'The court heard that during the operation just over a total 307grams of cocaine was sold by the defendants, worth around £11,000.Prosecutor Ann Darlow said: 'These defendants were subject to an intensive surveillance operation involving a number of test purchase officers.'At the commencement of the operation they supplied smaller amounts of cocaine wrapped in lottery tickets, less than a gram, but during the course of the operation amounts offered for supply escalated and the Prosecution put the case that this was wholesale dealing by both the defendants.'Following a meeting with two undercover officers in Mr Pickwicks in July 2006, Ginnelly quickly established himself as a dealer with plenty of contacts and gave the police his mobile number. In March last year, Ginnelly, himself a heavy drug user, met with an undercover officer while he sat in a car with his three children.Ms Darlow said: 'He told the officer to get into the car to carry out the deal in front of the children, supplying two wraps of cocaine for £100.'Royston also dealt to officers from a basement boardroom and Ginnelly later claimed he was in the process of setting up a first floor members only bar at Mr Pickwicks so he could freely distribute cocaine. As the deals got bigger, the pair began arranging meetings with the undercover officers at hotels around London.The biggest deal, for a 'nine ounce bar', took place in a hotel room near Tower Bridge and netted the dealers £8,500. They were finally arrested on July 6 last year.

David Royston, Michael Ginnelly,ran the drugs racket from Mr Pickwicks in Leman Street, Whitechapel on the edge of the City.

Southwark Crown Court heard former currency broker Ginnelly even sold £100 worth of the class A drug while sitting in the car with his three...

Lawrence Doyle was arrested in June 2007 after family members upset about his cocaine use and dealing from their home tipped off police

Lawrence Doyle of 7 Elwell St. was arrested in June 2007 after family members upset about his cocaine use and dealing from their home tipped...

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found.

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found. He claimed he had stolen a rucksack from two men who had asked him for directions in a pub and said he did not know what was inside. However, drugs officers had witnessed him hand over money in return for the bag of cocaine. Advocate depute Morag Jack told the High Court in Edinburgh that Smith had been put under surveillance during a drugs operation. She said that on 6 December last year he was seen meeting two men who had got off a coach at the bus station. All three went into The Abode pub in the city's St Andrews Street. The prosecutor said: "The accused was seen to hand over a bundle of cash to one of the other men. In return he received a rucksack." Smith got into a taxi but the vehicle was stopped by police and he was detained. Inside the rucksack, police found two blocks of compressed powder wrapped in black tape. Analysis revealed it was 25% pure cocaine with a potential street value of £107,560. Smith earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug. Lord Kinclaven told him he would have jailed him for five years for the offence, but for his guilty plea. The judge said: "As a courier you were playing an essential part in the drug trade."

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found.

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found. He claimed he had stolen a rucksack f...

Arrested Marcel Levon Williams recovered two baggies of crack cocaine, a baggy of green leafy vegetation, a marijuana cigarette, $364 in cash

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhCEg71mgO8sohZWhAtIWBLvpsoZdfID2o6olCt8KnVxe_eeq9aEJBA7BG2wswJrUv6ZUfTaMkUeDBA3NezrE7-vi2cf62NZTc0tj-Huxs4pwtvOeScgxIRP7oFDQWsEz4lFIinYj7Tg/s1600-h/williamsmarcellevon_t180.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249363919677354370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhCEg71mgO8sohZWhAtIWBLvpsoZdfID2o6olCt8KnVxe_eeq9aEJBA7BG2wswJrUv6ZUfTaMkUeDBA3NezrE7-vi2cf62NZTc0tj-Huxs4pwtvOeScgxIRP7oFDQWsEz4lFIinYj7Tg/s400/williamsmarcellevon_t180.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Arrested Marcel Levon Williams around 9:40 a.m. at 1114 E. 19th St. and recovered two baggies of crack cocaine, a baggy of green leafy vegetation, a marijuana cigarette, $364 in cash, among other items, a police report said.Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury on six charges that accuse him of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. The charges stem from incidents between March 1, 2007, and Sept. 3, 2008, according to the indictment. The indictment, which was filed Sept. 11, was made public after Williams’ arrest.

Arrested Marcel Levon Williams recovered two baggies of crack cocaine, a baggy of green leafy vegetation, a marijuana cigarette, $364 in cash

Arrested Marcel Levon Williams around 9:40 a.m. at 1114 E. 19th St. and recovered two baggies of crack cocaine, a baggy of green leafy vege...

Ruby L. Holley and 37-year-old Jeremy James entered guilty pleas to the charge of dealing in cocaine, a class B felony.

Ruby L. Holley and 37-year-old Jeremy James entered guilty pleas to the charge of dealing in cocaine, a class B felony.Holley admitted under oath to selling .32 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant near Ninth and North streets in Logansport on May 4, 2006. She was arrested more than a year later along with 28 other suspects in what the Cass County Drug Task Force called Bought & Paid For 2. The Logansport resident has been in the Cass County Jail on a bond of $5,000 cash/$25,000 surety since her arrest.Holley’s plea agreement calls for 10 years in prison, with two years suspended, according to deputy prosecutor James Ackermann.During his plea hearing, James admitted to selling one-eighth of an ounce of cocaine to a confidential informant in the 1200 block of George Street on May 18, 2006. He was arrested in July of the same year during the Bought & Paid For investigation that resulted in a county-record 41 arrests. James’ plea agreement capped his possible prison time at 10 years. He has been out of jail since Jan. 23, 2007, when he posted a $25,000 surety bond.Sentencing for Holley and James is scheduled for Oct. 27 before Judge Rick Maughmer, who took both plea deals under advisement.A class B felony carries a sentencing range of six to 20 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.

Ruby L. Holley and 37-year-old Jeremy James entered guilty pleas to the charge of dealing in cocaine, a class B felony.

Ruby L. Holley and 37-year-old Jeremy James entered guilty pleas to the charge of dealing in cocaine, a class B felony.Holley admitted under...

Jose Diaz a/k/a Jose David Diaz-Ortega, was arrested on July 30, 2008

Jose Diaz a/k/a Jose David Diaz-Ortega, was arrested on July 30, 2008. A total of 9 people have been arrested and charged in an indictment unsealed today. A five-month investigation revealed that Jose Diaz a/k/a Jose David Diaz-Ortega, directed associates in Puerto Rico to ship kilograms of cocaine, concealed inside children's toy tool boxes and large building toy container boxes, to New York City. The organization used United States Postal Service Express Mail to make deliveries to drop off addresses in Manhattan and the Bronx. Eight other members of the Diaz-Ortega drug or money laundering enterprise in the Bronx, New Jersey and Puerto Rico, also face top felony charges. The narcotics were destined to be sold to buyers on the East Coast. One sale occurred on June 5, 2008 at Diaz-Ortega's Bronx residence. A Connecticut resident purchased a kilogram of cocaine concealed inside a child's pegboard stool. With the assistance of the New Haven Drug Enforcement Administration District Office and the Ansonia Police Department, the cocaine, still inside the stool, was recovered in the Waterbury, Connecticut area. Diaz-Ortega and Jesus Diaz, an employee in Prima Check Cashing, a money remitter and check cashing business at 1740 First Avenue in Manhattan, are also charged with laundering the proceeds of the narcotics business. As often as twice a week, Diaz-Ortega brought drug proceeds amounting to $40,000-$50,000 to Prima Check Cashing where Jesus Diaz, with the assistance of Lisa Rodriguez, sent wire transfers to associates in Puerto Rico. He also converted drug proceeds received in smaller denominations into $100 dollar bills. Diaz-Ortega stashed currency in his residence at 1314 Clay Avenue in the Bronx. A June 13, 2008 search warrant at Diaz-Ortega's home led to the recovery of $86,400 and a .380 caliber handgun. Diaz-Ortega, who was not home at the time, was arrested on July 30, 2008 at First Avenue and 101st Street in Manhattan. He is being held on bail in the amount of $500,000 cash/ $250,000 bond. His next court date is October 6, 2008 before the Honorable William Wetzel, Supreme Court Part 34. He and eight of his co-conspirators were indicted by a Special Narcotics Grand Jury on August 29, 2008. This morning a search warrant at Cessa Eddy's Prospect Avenue Bronx home led to the recovery of a .38 caliber, .25 caliber and .9 millimeter handguns and an ounce of cocaine and an ounce of marijuana packaged in numerous plastic zip lock bags for distribution. Teams of DEA agents and Special Narcotics investigators arrested the remaining defendants charged in the indictment, including: Mark Marasi, Cessa Eddy, Jackeline Viera, Jesus Diaz, Lisa Rodriguez, Juan Carambot, Jose Weekes and Julio Perez

Jose Diaz a/k/a Jose David Diaz-Ortega, was arrested on July 30, 2008

Jose Diaz a/k/a Jose David Diaz-Ortega, was arrested on July 30, 2008. A total of 9 people have been arrested and charged in an indictment u...

David A. Gooch charged with criminally negligent homicide and criminal injection of a narcotic drug

Catskill police arrested 33-year-old David A. Gooch and charged him with criminally negligent homicide and criminal injection of a narcotic ...

Dani Rodriguez was taken into custody when Anti-Crime officers found him holing 25 packets of heroin

Dani Rodriguez of Throop Avenue was taken into custody when Anti-Crime officers found him holing 25 packets of heroin. The bust culminated a...

Marshall Pittman,Raven Reebel,Brittany Cook All three were booked into the Multi-County Correctional Center

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7nxjh7YT0SFysvnAHxwrKY_amWi52sgi4tYKk67M3cVy4BRb5Y5_mViz3k4zzISi5VCiSKL7lN2zM6Y8wj77MMg5nNf-Ywhmxgoaifzn8p8F2ZMK2sjsErFvgHzAFXs-NVFCDEkOnFk/s1600-h/bilde.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248768098698531954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7nxjh7YT0SFysvnAHxwrKY_amWi52sgi4tYKk67M3cVy4BRb5Y5_mViz3k4zzISi5VCiSKL7lN2zM6Y8wj77MMg5nNf-Ywhmxgoaifzn8p8F2ZMK2sjsErFvgHzAFXs-NVFCDEkOnFk/s200/bilde.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykqlon7WfaGrNbDZSU0vQl28MIvXhlNAQahNIbW6SlzvGeef5kDVL9bzmSEfvSXrxv1K13iiTMswMEVgtmn-wvML5Ow7fC67asZ8OYsZowhGoJGLYrlJ7oV5oIRv1OLVEUt1G7BoCrnI/s1600-h/bilde2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248768100651162706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykqlon7WfaGrNbDZSU0vQl28MIvXhlNAQahNIbW6SlzvGeef5kDVL9bzmSEfvSXrxv1K13iiTMswMEVgtmn-wvML5Ow7fC67asZ8OYsZowhGoJGLYrlJ7oV5oIRv1OLVEUt1G7BoCrnI/s200/bilde2.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAI_4AZETJdfz4nDXmdNX-nH1b22KGfETcVF5_qmXV0UCRgVpFjq-ZKbagUHPZFWQA9fpkJoHnVehCmvQtNhUH8j4Zj4I1rLIDvfK5-fTQjCXksVTgIf3AY0o3TkNZELPbqqNkTP8KQQ/s1600-h/bilde3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248768102544092946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAI_4AZETJdfz4nDXmdNX-nH1b22KGfETcVF5_qmXV0UCRgVpFjq-ZKbagUHPZFWQA9fpkJoHnVehCmvQtNhUH8j4Zj4I1rLIDvfK5-fTQjCXksVTgIf3AY0o3TkNZELPbqqNkTP8KQQ/s200/bilde3.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Arrested Marshall Pittman, 20, 868 Chatfield Road, on two charges of possession of heroin and a charge of drug paraphernalia; Raven Reebel, 23, LaRue, on two charges of possession of heroin; and Brittany Cook, 19, last known address 868 Chatfield Road, on a charge of possession of heroin.detectives located 2.7 grams of heroin with a street value of $350 and drug paraphernalia.All three were booked into the Multi-County Correctional Center.The MARMET-METRICH Drug Task Force consists of detectives from the Marion County Sheriff's Office and Marion Police Department.

Marshall Pittman,Raven Reebel,Brittany Cook All three were booked into the Multi-County Correctional Center

Arrested Marshall Pittman, 20, 868 Chatfield Road, on two charges of possession of heroin and a charge of drug paraphernalia; Raven Reebel, ...

Ben Dionne charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute and failure to appear in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

Ben Dionne, 29, is back in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after fleeing to Canada nearly two years ago. Dionne, who has dual citizenship, was extradited to the U.S. earlier this year. He was turned over to American authorities Monday in Madawaska, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.He is charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute and failure to appear in U.S. District Court in Bangor. Dionne was one of six men indicted by a federal grand jury two years ago for allegedly being part of a marijuana smuggling and distribution ring that stretched from the St. John Valley to Portland.Dionne was released on Sept. 12, 2006, on $5,000 unsecured bail after pleading not guilty to the drug charge in federal court in Bangor. He failed to stay in touch with U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services and a warrant was issued for his arrest two weeks later, according to court documents.In November 2006, a grand jury indicted him on a new charge — failure to appear.Dionne is scheduled to be arraigned on that charge Monday. A federal judge also will hear a motion to revoke his bail on the drug charge and hold him without bail until his case is resolved.If convicted, he faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Dionne also could be fined up to $4 million on the drug charge. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the failure-to-appear charge.All but one of Dionne’s alleged co-conspirators have been convicted.John “Scooch” or “Scoochy” Pascuccui, 50, of Gorham also pleaded not guilty to drug conspiracy. He and Dionne are not scheduled to be tried until after the first of the year.Michael Pelletier, 57, of St. David was sentenced in January to 20 years in prison after being found guilty in July 2007 of drug smuggling, money laundering and Social Security fraud. Michael Easler, 28, of St. David was sentenced in August 2007 to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to similar drug and money laundering charges. Raymond “Rocky” Fogg, 56, of Winn and Anthony Caparotta, 43, of Caribou were found guilty in June of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana. The jury also found Fogg guilty of Social Security fraud. Both men face between 10 years and life in federal prison.

Ben Dionne charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute and failure to appear in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

Ben Dionne, 29, is back in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after fleeing to Canada nearly two years ago. Dionne, who has dual citiz...

Paul Bruce was caught with 28 wraps of the drug

Paul Bruce was caught with 28 wraps of the drug when he ran on to a bus after officers spotted him acting suspiciously. And as well as having the drugs, which weighed about five grams, the 25-year-old also had £160 in cash. Rachel Marshall, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how officers saw him acting suspiciously on Friday, November 9 last year. She said they followed him as he ran on to a bus and saw him put something into his backside. He was arrested and officers later recovered a package which contained 28 wraps of drugs. When he was questioned he told police he was acting under duress as he had previous drug problems and his dealer had beaten him up. He said he had to do jobs for him including acting as a courier which is what he was doing when he was arrested. The court heard he had a number of previous convictions for dishonesty consistent with drug addiction as well as possessing cannabis in 2000 and heroin in 2003. Bruce, who gave the court a care of address in Purton Road, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply. Mike Pulsford, defending, said his client accepted he had bought the drugs and was to supply them to friends. His client’s mother had left him some money to look after himself while she went away, he said, and he had spent it on the drugs. He said that he had also withdrawn some money from his bank account shortly before he was arrested as his Giro had just been paid in. Although he had planned to sell the drugs, he said he did not have an opportunity before he was arrested, so none of the money came from that. He said in the time since the offence his client had stopped taking drugs and had been offered work if he kept his liberty. But jailing him, Judge John McNaught said: “A lot of the criminal cases that come before the court here and up and down the country are drug related. “Higher courts in London tell me what I have to do to people who are caught with class A drugs with intent. “The courts do what they can, it may not be much but they do what they can. Anyone who risks it must know that they may go to prison.” He also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and the confiscation of the £160 he had on him when he was arrested.

Paul Bruce was caught with 28 wraps of the drug

Paul Bruce was caught with 28 wraps of the drug when he ran on to a bus after officers spotted him acting suspiciously. And as well as havin...

Stephen Elsdon twice supplied crack cocaine to an undercover officer

Stephen Elsdon twice supplied crack cocaine to an undercover officer during a Cleveland Police operation to target peddlers in Hartlepool last year. The 38-year-old was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence with probation service supervision. The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, QC, also ordered that Elsdon undergoes a drug rehabilitation programme over the next two years. He told him: "You are one of the few - very, very few - people who get convicted of supplying Class A drugs who don't go straight to prison. "You have got a great deal of ability and a great deal going for you, and you are only 38. There is a lot yet you can do with your life, but its down to you." Teesside Crown Court heard that Elsdon was asked by an associate who became friends with the undercover officer to find crack cocaine. The pal - jailed last month three years for supplying heroin to the officer - was one of the main targets of Operation Beckford, but Elsdon was not. Paul Cleasby, mitigating, said Elsdon was a conduit, but since his arrest, he has become drug-free and found a job in the demolition industry. Elsdon, of Masefield Road, Hartlepool, admitted two charges of supplying Class A drugs - on October 24 and November 2 last year. Mr Cleasby told the court: "He recognises the offence in which he became embroiled were serious. He is making every effort to address his underlying issues."

Stephen Elsdon twice supplied crack cocaine to an undercover officer

Stephen Elsdon twice supplied crack cocaine to an undercover officer during a Cleveland Police operation to target peddlers in Hartlepool la...

Hector “Guero” Omero Rodriguez was arrested and charged for intent to obtain and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.

Hector “Guero” Omero Rodriguez was arrested and charged for intent to obtain and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering. He was picked up along with other arrestees during the morning hours of Sept. 17 as apart of a North Texas drug dealing crackdown known as “Operation Dos Equis.”In total, more than $1 million cash, approximately 300 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 400 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 20 weapons, and various explosive devices were seized in the North Texas area.The arrests were part of "Project Reckoning," a multi-agency law enforcement effort led by the DEA. According to the statement, the Gulf Cartel is responsible for transporting multi-ton quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marjiuana from countries in South and Central America to the United States, as well as the distribution of those narcotics within the U.S. "Project Reckoning" is a 15-month investigation that has led to the arrests this week of more than 175 individuals throughout the United States and Italy. In the northern district of Texas, "Operation Dos Equis" focused on the Mexican cocaine distribution organization, and stems from a federal grand jury indictment charging 21 defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.Another North Texas effort, titled "Operation Vertigo," was an investigation into a methamphetamine distribution organization, and included 11 defendants charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine."Operation Dos Equis and Operation Vertigo are an unprecedented success in North Texas, resulting in the largest combined seizure ever of money and drugs at one time," Roper said. Special Agent Capra said that the combined national drug enforcement activities during the course of the operation have significantly disrupted the Gulf Cartel's transportation and distribution networks, and that the cooperation among domestic law enforcement agencies was instrumental in the successful outcome of the investigation.

Hector “Guero” Omero Rodriguez was arrested and charged for intent to obtain and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.

Hector “Guero” Omero Rodriguez was arrested and charged for intent to obtain and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money la...

Juan Delarosa, 56, drug counselor was initially arrested in January this year after authorities, who had been alerted to his criminal activity,

Juan Delarosa, 56, was initially arrested in January this year after authorities, who had been alerted to his criminal activity, caught him ...

David Danso, who allegedly attempted to smuggle a substance suspected to be cocaine , jumped from the first floor of the Kotoka International Airport

David Danso, who allegedly attempted to smuggle a substance suspected to be cocaine outside the country, jumped from the first floor of the Departure Hall of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to escape arrest. The suspect, who was fleeing from operatives of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) after he had been invited by them, received multiple fractures on his left thigh as a result of the heavy fall on the ground floor of the main airport building. He is currently on admission at the 37 Military Hospital receiving treatment and the doctors say he will be there for the next 10 weeks. Two other suspects, Daniel Mensah, 23, and Frank Amoako, 37, who were arrested later are in custody pending further investigations. The three suspects have together expelled a total of 199 pellets of the drug. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NACOB, Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that about 10:30 p.m. on August 30, 2008, Danso, who was resident in London, was the last person to go through departure formalities to board a London-bound flight. Mr Amoah said while Danso was on his way to board the aircraft, operatives of NACOB invited him for random checks but he quickly turned and took to his heels. According to the NACOB PRO, after meandering his way through Immigration Control, Danso jumped onto the ground floor. Mr Amoah said Danso was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was admitted for treatment. While on admission, he said, the suspect expelled 64 pellets of the substance. He said upon interrogation, Danso claimed that a United States of America-based friend of his, Alhaji Musah, had sent him £1,500 to enable him to meet his financial obligations in Ghana before returning to London. Mr Amoah said Danso, however, claimed that Alhaji Musah gave him that amount on condition that he took some drugs to London on his behalf. On Mensah, the PRO said the suspect was arrested at the airport about 7.00 p.m. on September 6, 2008 while going through departure formalities for Holland. Mr Amoah said the suspect confessed to swallowing 65 pellets of the drug which had been given to him by someone he identified only as Emma at Madina for a fee of 3,500 euros. He said the suspect had since expelled all the 65 pellets. According to Mr Amoah, Amoako was arrested on September 10, 2008 while going through departure formalities for Germany, where he was based. He said Amoako confessed to swallowing 50 pellets but expelled 70 pellets after he had been detained. The PRO said Amoako claimed that he was to deliver the drugs to someone he identified only as Shivry in Berlin for a fee of 3,500 euros.

David Danso, who allegedly attempted to smuggle a substance suspected to be cocaine , jumped from the first floor of the Kotoka International Airport

David Danso, who allegedly attempted to smuggle a substance suspected to be cocaine outside the country, jumped from the first floor of the ...

Anthony Connolly was arrested on Wednesday evening after UK Border Agency officers searched a truck carrying a consignment of beer at Dover.

Anthony Connolly, of North Sudley Road, Mossley Hill was arrested on Wednesday evening after UK Border Agency officers searched a truck carr...

Marcus Steadman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Marcus Steadman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, was sentenced to four years in prison. judge also ordered him to complete the remainder of the five-year sentence he was serving while in Sudbury and sentenced him to an additional 230 days. West Derbyshire MP Patrick McLoughlin said people convicted of serious drugs offences should not be sent to open prisons. He said: "This is a person who has obviously caused a lot of damage and I find it absurd that someone convicted of this type of crime can be considered for an open prison. A spokeswoman for Sudbury Prison said Steadman would have been assessed for suitability for Category D (low security, open jail) conditions by a governor at the prison from which he was sent. She said: "I am unable to give any further information as the computer records held are now unavailable." Steadman had been convicted of possession with intent to supply drugs. After he walked out of his Sudbury sentence, he became involved in the drugs ring when he was recruited by a "Mr Big" in London. The ring was centred on Teesside. Cleveland police could not yesterday give details of which prison Steadman, now of no fixed abode, was sent to when he began his five-year sentence, or when he was transferred to Sudbury. The Derbyshire jail could also not immediately give those details. Teesside Crown Court had heard that the drugs ring became known as the Donna Network, because addicts telephoning to get crack cocaine spoke to a woman who gave the false name Donna. It is likely the group first targeted Middlesbrough in 2004. They hoped to establish the town as the regional hub from which to supply crack cocaine to the North East. Police estimate that the Donna Network had a turnover of £1m a year from its Middlesbrough dealings. It is believed that the drug cash fuelled lavish lifestyles among the hierarchy and was also sent to Jamaica to invest in property. Steadman was arrested by police in Teesside in April last year. The court was told he had been brought from London to run so-called safe houses in Middlesbrough. He was jailed along with seven others involved in the drugs scam. Detective Constable Kevin Harper, a police intelligence officer for Sudbury Prison, said it would be unlikely that Steadman would end up in an open jail again. He said: "The majority of prisoners who abscond from the prison are recaptured very quickly. Those found to abusing the open prison conditions, such as Steadman, would be unlikely to be considered for those conditions again." Sudbury had faced criticism because of its number of escapees. However, figures released exclusively to the Evening Telegraph recently revealed how the number of absconders had reduced by 75% since the introduction of a new policy which takes a harder line on those who try to flee. Between January and June 2006, 48 inmates walked out of the prison, compared with 12 this year – a 75% reduction. In 2006, 86 prisoners escaped but, by the end of 2007, this was reduced to 54. Mr McLoughlin said: "I would say that Sudbury has improved dramatically in the rate of absconders, particularly since the introduction of a new system which means the consequences of absconding are more severe."

Marcus Steadman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Marcus Steadman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, was sentenced to four years in prison. judge also ordered him to ...

Pasquale Barbaro “I would rather be poor and free than a millionaire"posed too much of a risk of violating bail conditions and fleeing the country

Barbaro, from Griffith in NSW, is facing five charges of trafficking commercial quantities of ecstasy, money laundering and dealing with the proceeds of crime over a large ecstasy haul uncovered by Australian Federal Police. Pasquale Barbaro posed too much of a risk of violating bail conditions and fleeing the country and therefore refused the application. The 15 million pills were hidden in tomato tins in a container shipped from Italy to Melbourne in June last year. Twenty-five people allegedly involved in the syndicate - stretching from the NSW town of Griffith to Europe - have been charged. Mr Garnett said he agreed with police evidence that Mr Barbaro was the head of the international syndicate allegedly responsible for the 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy. He said that even though there were delays in the case and it would most likely not go to trial until 2010, he had to balance this against the seriousness of the charges and the strength of the prosecution case. The Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday heard Mr Barbaro believed Mr Mokbel should have stayed “underground” and could have “lived like a king” with his children, “eating fish and drinking champagne” if he had been smarter. The court heard police recorded conversations between the accused and another co-defendant in May last year after they had been watching the news of Mr Mokbel's arrest in Greece on television. Prosecutor Brent Young told the court listening devices captured Mr Barbaro talking about knowing people who had successfully lived happily in the “mountains of Lebanon” without being caught. “What's money,” he allegedly said. “I would rather be poor and free than a millionaire in jail. F..k that!”

Pasquale Barbaro “I would rather be poor and free than a millionaire"posed too much of a risk of violating bail conditions and fleeing the country

Barbaro, from Griffith in NSW, is facing five charges of trafficking commercial quantities of ecstasy, money laundering and dealing with the...

Joseph Hyde. , who now lives in Thailand, was stopped in his car by police in March last year and was found with 3.3 grams of cocaine

Thomas Thompson, 52 of Dragside, South Shields was jailed for seven years, Aaron Fada, 33, of Braybourne Street, South Shields was jailed for three years and Simon Welsh, 33, of Strathmore Gardens, South Shields was jailed for 21 months. Joseph Hyde. , who now lives in Thailand, was stopped in his car by police in March last year and was found with 3.3 grams of cocaine, with a street value of £200. Following his interview and release police began surveillance on Hyde and which led them to a number of other criminals. As a result three men were jailed for a total of over 11 years. A fourth defendant, John Scott, 38, of Chaucer Avenue, South Shields had his sentence for supply of cocaine and transferring money to Thailand adjourned until October 20 for the preparation of a psychiatric report. The court heard Callum Taylor, 24 who died of a suspected drugs overdose after ahouse party would have also been sentenced for his part in the crimes. Thompson had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and transfering money, Fada, pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and Welsh pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and transfering money Tim Gittins, prosecuting, said that after Hyde and Scott were stopped by the police it, "Led detectives to the doors of the other defendants." Thomas Thompson, who was described as Hyde's "Number one man" had his home raided in July last year. There police found 250 grams of cocaine, with a street value of £40,000, a 'debtors list' which totalled £400,000 and £8,400 in cash. Police also found a cache of weapons including batons, flick knives, knuckle dusters and a crossbow. Mr Gittins said: "He made frank admissions that the cocaine was there ready to be distributed in South Shields. "He was clearly frightened and remorseful during the course of interview. "Enquiries revealed Thompson, Welsh and Scott had been responsible over a period of time for transferring large quantities of currency to Thailand." The court heard that between January and July 2007 Thompson had sent £51,000 to Thailand, while Welsh had sent £5000, most of it in his partner's name. In September 2007 police raided A and S Auto Salvage in Gateshead, which belonged to Welsh and Fada. There police found around 130 grams of cocaine and 230 grams of cannabis resin. Glen Gatland, defending Thompson, said that he was not making huge profits from the drugs and was paid £150-£200 a week for driving Hyde around. He said: "The mastermind behind all this was Mr Hyde, who escaped abroad." Judge Beatrice Bolton, sentencing Thompson, said: "Hyde is undoubtedly the man behind this operation but you were is number one man. "On your arrest you were ready, willing and able to tell police what had been happening." The Judge said Fada was not at first "on the police radar" but the raid on his business implicated him in drug dealing.

Joseph Hyde. , who now lives in Thailand, was stopped in his car by police in March last year and was found with 3.3 grams of cocaine

Thomas Thompson, 52 of Dragside, South Shields was jailed for seven years, Aaron Fada, 33, of Braybourne Street, South Shields was jailed fo...

Richard J. Scirocco,was caught with the drugs after a state trooper pulled his 1997 Chevy Trailblazer over for speeding and a marked lanes violation

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5rKoxJDgk5q3HO_S5d67VApNaXmdI485CaNw7MHF_5oa_9s2N8zhM2OCNoANr1C-i-F8dFpXc93b6DLyWZUYuOiGqLU7WjclNGZcrhwvaDxPVFkvrW5VOoqDWI3vCgRP1DiIJbiy4xc/s1600-h/scirocco_web.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247394974988245362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5rKoxJDgk5q3HO_S5d67VApNaXmdI485CaNw7MHF_5oa_9s2N8zhM2OCNoANr1C-i-F8dFpXc93b6DLyWZUYuOiGqLU7WjclNGZcrhwvaDxPVFkvrW5VOoqDWI3vCgRP1DiIJbiy4xc/s400/scirocco_web.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Richard J. Scirocco, 42, of 10 Howe Street, was caught with the drugs after a state trooper pulled his 1997 Chevy Trailblazer over for speeding and a marked lanes violation, police said. Scirocco was driving with another man, Scott Carty Jr., 21, in the passenger seat, police said. Both men acted nervously and moved toward the center console of the car when the trooper approached them, police said.Inside the center console, the trooper allegedly found a double-edged knife, one plastic bag containing four more plastic bags of cocaine and 13 loose bags of cocaine packaged for sale.Both men were arrested and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and drug violation in a school zone. Scirocco was also charged with a marked lanes violation and failure to signal before making a turn.Scirocco received 464 votes for mayor last year and finished third against incumbent Joseph A. Curtatone and challenger, Suzanne Bremer. On Election Day, Scirocco drove around the city in a stretch limousine while teenagers shouted, “Vote for Scirocco, vote for change” through a bullhorn from the vehicle’s windows.After the election results came in showing that he had finished third, Scirocco blamed his loss on media coverage of his past arrests. Four women, all mothers of his children, had each taken out restraining orders against him, and Scirocco once pled guilty to punching his child’s mother in the face.He was also put in handcuffs in March 2004 after police said he bought three kegs of beer for more than 30 teenagers. He was the city’s Little League Baseball president at the time.“If the papers had given me a chance and not gone through with a smear campaign against my name, maybe people could have had a different perspective of me and I would have prevailed,” Scirocco said after the loss last year. “I’m not a bad person; at least I don’t think I am. The media is completely the reason I lost.”

Richard J. Scirocco,was caught with the drugs after a state trooper pulled his 1997 Chevy Trailblazer over for speeding and a marked lanes violation

Richard J. Scirocco, 42, of 10 Howe Street, was caught with the drugs after a state trooper pulled his 1997 Chevy Trailblazer over for speed...

Omar Stevenson, faces two counts of illegal drug sales and two of illegal drug possession.

Omar Stevenson, 30, of 234 School St., is accused of selling cocaine July 15 and Aug. 15 on School Street, police said. When he was arrested...

Gary Bryant,claimed he was ordered to transport 140 wraps of the class A drug from Liverpool to dealers in North Wales to clear his own drug debt.

Gary Bryant, 35, of Tynwadd, Llanerchymedd, Anglesey, claimed he was ordered to transport 140 wraps of the class A drug from Liverpool to dealers in North Wales to clear his own drug debt.The Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, commended two officers from British Transport Police, Joan Moore and Geoffrey Robinson, for their actions which led to Bryant’s arrest.Judge Edwards said: “As a result of their actions they have prevented a sizeable degree of public harm being done.“I issue a Crown Court commendation to both of them.”Bryant was seen acting suspiciously walking across a bridge linking the platforms at Chester station on Monday, June 23, at about 11pm, Chester Crown Court was told.Peter Hussey, prosecuting, said: “Officers approached him and suspected that he may be in possession of drugs. “From his pocket he produced a plastic bag about the size of a golf ball with a number of smaller packages within. Analysis revealed it was crack cocaine and that there were 140 bags of £10 deals ready for selling.”Bryant, a father of three, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply.Andrew Green, defending, said: “For much of his life he has had a longstanding addiction to class A drugs.“For a repeat offender with a history of addiction to hold down any semblance of family life and stay away from the courts would have taken some resolve and determination.”Judge Elgan originally sentenced Bryant to five years’ jail but reduced it to four after listening to Mr Green’s argument

Gary Bryant,claimed he was ordered to transport 140 wraps of the class A drug from Liverpool to dealers in North Wales to clear his own drug debt.

Gary Bryant, 35, of Tynwadd, Llanerchymedd, Anglesey, claimed he was ordered to transport 140 wraps of the class A drug from Liverpool to de...

Leslie Adgar and Jon Patton pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin. Those crimes carry a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years

Leslie Adgar, 42, of Decatur, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge J. Owen Forrester to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Jon Patton, 44, of Lawrenceville, Ga., got 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Andre Mays, 24, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 2 years and six months of probation and ordered to perform 160 hours of community service for entering a secure airport area in violation of federal screening requirements. Patton and Mays were, at the time of the crimes, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees working at HJIA. Adgar was a Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) employee, also assigned to HJIA.All three defendants pleaded guilty on June 18.In December 2007, a confidential source working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) brokered a deal with TSA employee Patton to send two kilograms of cocaine through Hartsfield-Jackson to New York. Patton set transportation fees of $5,000 for the first kilogram of cocaine and $3,000 for every kilogram after. Patton provided the source with a piece of luggage that was later used to carry the two kilograms of cocaine past security and onto the Delta flight.On Dec. 19, 2007, at the direction of the DEA, the source met with Patton and a second TSA employee, Mays, at Hartsfield-Jackson and handed them a carry-on bag packed with two kilograms of fake cocaine and $4,000. Both Patton and Mays were in TSA uniform and on duty at Hartsfield-Jackson when they took the luggage. The $4,000 was one-half of the total $8,000 transportation fee; the plan was for the source to hand the second $4,000 to Adgar in New York when the sham drugs were delivered.After taking the source's bag, Patton and Mays went into a bathroom in Hartsfield-Jackson's North Terminal. About two minutes later, Patton was seen inside the bathroom standing outside of a closed bathroom stall talking to Mays in the stall. Patton no longer had the bag. Mays was not visible, but the bag was on the floor inside the stall outside of which Patton was standing. Patton and Mays then exited the bathroom together. Patton once again was carrying the bag. Mays, who had entered the bathroom with his coat open, now had his coat closed. Mays was next spotted on the other side of the security check point. Patton walked around the magnetometers, sending the bag through the x-ray machine. Patton and the bag were not challenged by TSA screeners. Patton retrieved the bag and eventually met with Adgar in the T concourse, giving her the bag. Adgar immediately boarded a Delta flight to New York's LaGuardia Airport. After arriving at LaGuardia, Adgar met with the source, who paid Adgar the remaining $4,000 of the smuggling fee. Adgar gave the source his bag with the two kilograms of fake cocaine. Adgar later boarded another Delta flight and came back to Atlanta. In late January, the source and Patton negotiated a second smuggling transaction. On Jan. 23, the source traveled to Hartsfield-Jackson and gave Patton with the same carry-on bag that was used in the December deal. This time, however, the bag was packed with one kilogram of fake heroin and $4,500. Patton was in uniform and on duty when he took the luggage.After taking the bag, Patton passed the heroin through the security checkpoint without notice. He then went near Gate T-8 and gave Adgar the bag. Adgar then boarded a Delta flight bound for LaGuardia Airport. After arriving in New York, Adgar deplaned and returned the bag with the sham heroin in it to the source. In exchange, the source handed Adgar the remaining $4,500. Adgar later boarded a Delta flight from New York to Orlando.A third and final transaction happened Feb. 15. The source and Patton negotiated a three-kilogram cocaine deal, again from Atlanta to New York. The source arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson and gave Patton with the same carry-on bag that had been used in the previous two deals. The bag was packed with three kilograms of fake cocaine and cash. Patton was again in TSA uniform and on duty at Hartsfield-Jackson when he took the luggage. Patton passed the fake cocaine through security without incident. Inside the airport, Patton provided Adgar with the bag. Adgar was arrested by DEA agents while attempting to board a Delta flight to LaGuardia Airport. Patton and Mays were arrested shortly thereafter.Adgar and Patton pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin. Those crimes carry a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.Mays pleaded guilty to entering a secure airport area in violation of federal screening requirements, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison.

Leslie Adgar and Jon Patton pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin. Those crimes carry a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years

Leslie Adgar, 42, of Decatur, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge J. Owen Forrester to 10 years in prison followed by five year...

Trial of Aaron Washington and Vonnie Williams is expected to take two or three weeks.

Trial of Aaron Washington and Vonnie Williams is expected to take two or three weeks. Washington and Williams were indicted in March on 36 c...

Maria Venegas Vda. De Trevino admitted to hiding the drugs on her body

Aside from the nearly 20 pounds of cocaine Trevino-Venegas had strapped to her body, agents say they discovered another 17 pounds of narcotics in the 2006 Mercedes ML350 being driven by one of the sisters.Maria Venegas Vda. De Trevino, 60, and her three daughters were arrested June 18 when she attempted to smuggle $1 million worth of cocaine through the B&M International Bridge.United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle says Trevino-Venegas, a resident immigrant from Mexico, admitted to hiding the drugs on her body.During a secondary inspection agents say the woman and her daughters tried to run back across the bridge into Mexico, but were arrested before they reached the mid-point.Laura Trevino, 31, Adriana Trevino, 23, and Evelia Trevino, 27, are all accusedof conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Evelia and Adriana Trevino are also charged with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine.The three sisters will go on trial next month. Their mother is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and will be sentenced Jan. 12, 2009. She faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison as well as a $4 million fine.

Maria Venegas Vda. De Trevino admitted to hiding the drugs on her body

Aside from the nearly 20 pounds of cocaine Trevino-Venegas had strapped to her body, agents say they discovered another 17 pounds of narcoti...

Rajput Kaleem Uddin was charged with smuggling a Class C drug

Rajput Kaleem Uddin, 38, a Pakistani national who arrived on Tyneside from Karachi, Pakistan, via a flight from Dubai, was later charged wit...

Chinaemerem Callistus Ukwanna Igboanusi, 25, has been charged with attempting to smuggle Class A drugs into the UK

Chinaemerem Callistus Ukwanna Igboanusi, 25, of Tamworth Road, Fenham, Newcastle, has been charged with attempting to smuggle Class A drugs ...

Peter Musoloki fled but his wife Christine Lanyero was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of opium.

UPDF officer, Peter Musoloki. The officer fled but his wife Christine Lanyero was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of opium. The rolled sticks were found in a water jar, according to the Police. The Police said Musoloki deals in opium rolls of which he sells at about sh1,000 each. “He buys and sells to his fellow soldiers and a gang of youth who reside at Kasubi Small-Gate,” said the regional Police spokesman, Jonhson Kilama.  He said the hunt for the retired soldier continues adding that people should desist from dealing in bhangi. A team of 23 Police constables, headed by the district Police commander, Yasin Ndimwibo, conducted the operation. Kasubi ward local leaders said the rate of bhangi smoking in the area was very high, especially among soldiers and the youth. They said they had warned them in vain. According to a recent Police report, Uganda is East Africa’s biggest producer of opium. The report also indicated that cocaine and heroin were being smuggled into Western markets through Uganda.

Peter Musoloki fled but his wife Christine Lanyero was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of opium.

UPDF officer, Peter Musoloki. The officer fled but his wife Christine Lanyero was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of opium. Th...

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were held as a spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were held as a spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, uncovered 2.3kg ...

Hugo L. Olmedo-Lopez, 38, was charged with possession of cocaine

Hugo L. Olmedo-Lopez, 38, was charged with possession of cocaine and littering. He also had an active warrant in Florida for trafficking in...

Scott Rozsa, 37, pleaded guilty to several charges

Scott Rozsa, 37, pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his May 2004 arrest, which also turned up three guns and more than $130,000 cash inside his car and home.He was on bail at the time for an earlier arrest for conspiracy to traffic five kilograms of cocaine from British Columbia. "He was fairly high on the chain of distribution here in Manitoba," Crown attorney Michael Foote said in court Monday. Rozsa admitted to the conspiracy charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. "The clear message here is crime doesn't pay," said defence lawyer Tim Killeen. The university-educated Rozsa had been living a crime-free lifestyle that included being an award-winning car salesman until he got involved with the wrong people, the defence lawyer said.He was receiving cocaine by the kilogram "off the boat" from Columbia and repackaging it in his home for resale in Winnipeg, court was told.Killeen said his client learned a valuable lesson during his previous jail stint and it's unfortunate he is now going back into custody, away from his family and community supports.Many reference letters were submitted to court, and a packed gallery of loved ones attended Monday's hearing."There's a real good chance you have turned your life around," Queen's Bench Justice John Scurfield told Rozsa. "It frankly saddens me that I have to do what I have to do today."Rozsa was given double-time credit for six months of pre-trial custody, leaving him with another six years on his sentence. He won't be eligible for accelerated parole after serving one-sixth of his time because he's no longer a first-time federal offender.

Scott Rozsa, 37, pleaded guilty to several charges

Scott Rozsa, 37, pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his May 2004 arrest, which also turned up three guns and more than $130,000...

Inspector Mohammed .A. Kamara and Sgt. Patrick Johnson,detained on allegation of involvement in the landing of the 700 kg of cocaine

Inspector Mohammed .A. Kamara, head of the Police Special Branch, Sgt. Patrick Johnson, formerly of the Congo Cross Police Station and Mr. ...

Nnadozie Kenneth ingested 65 pieces of substance suspected to be cocaine on his way to Paris

Nnadozie Kenneth, who claimed to be a car dealer in Lagos ingested 65 pieces of substance suspected to be cocaine on his way to Paris last S...

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on Sunday.

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on Sunday.HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the drugs, weighing about 2.3kg and valued at £170,000, were apparently found stitched into the hair pieces.A Jamaican police spokeswoman said the two women were charged with possession, dealing and attempting to export cocaine, and will appear at Montego Bay Resident Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. The pair were on holiday in Jamaica for two weeks before their arrest, and have allegedly told police they were to be paid £4,000 for smuggling the drugs into the UK, an HMRC spokeswoman said.The arrests came about through Operation Airbridge, a UK-Jamaican collaboration to catch drugs couriers - known as mules - before they board planes from Jamaica.Tony Walker, of the UK Border Agency and head of Operation Airbridge, said: "The Airbridge operation is delivering real results in this and other cases by helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."The number detected at UK airports from Jamaica has fallen from about 1,000 every year to five in 2007, the HMRC said.

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on Sunday.

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Mariah Hardy, 17, were detained after a random spot check at Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, on...

Ron Sailor Jr was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for money laundering and defrauding the church he once led as pastor.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-e1JsLoGlrh8TBAFJQUduIJ5nNz-EqkCo_FMGAjpxIgKGmh9HCt8dGjIOm8fay3kcvZJmTbAtGJB6oldU6EwhJA6dbZ9jjvpFnaoI7njHcDl5r_MSb-ZXLFWPvc9lrJrVjZ_PVwCl7E/s1600-h/ron.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246819308568586130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-e1JsLoGlrh8TBAFJQUduIJ5nNz-EqkCo_FMGAjpxIgKGmh9HCt8dGjIOm8fay3kcvZJmTbAtGJB6oldU6EwhJA6dbZ9jjvpFnaoI7njHcDl5r_MSb-ZXLFWPvc9lrJrVjZ_PVwCl7E/s400/ron.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Ron Sailor Jr was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for money laundering and defrauding the church he once led as pastor.“I understand I could have taken a very different route,” Sailor, 33, told U.S. District Court Judge Jack Camp before sentencing. “I’ve repented before God for my mistakes.”During an hour-long sentencing hearing, Sailor’s family and friends described one side of the former four-term Democratic lawmaker while prosecutors described another. But Sailor didn’t challenge prosecutors’ descriptions of his crimes.Sailor showed leadership qualities as a teenager when speaking to youth groups organized by the NAACP, the judge was told. As pastor, Sailor energized his congregation. As legislator, he inspired members of his constituency.“Ron had an outstanding life in every way,” Sailor’s father, Ron Sailor Sr., a pastor and former TV and radio personality, told Camp. “He helped people in many ways.”But last December, Sailor, who represented parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, was ensnared in an undercover drug sting at an Atlanta hotel.During meetings with a man he believed to be a drug dealer, Sailor agreed to launder $375,000 in illicit drug proceeds into money that appeared to have come from legitimate sources, prosecutors said Tuesday. But when he was arrested, Sailor learned that the “dealer” was, in fact, an undercover agent. Sailor quickly acknowledged wrongdoing to federal prosecutors and went even farther, agreeing to help with a corruption investigation by apparently implicating other public officials in wrongdoing. Prosecutors have not brought any charges or outlined the nature of the corruption.When Sailor pleaded guilty in March to money-laundering charges, his help in the corruption probe appeared certain to yield him greatly reduced prison time at sentencing.But federal prosecutors soon learned that Sailor was not finished committing crime.In the days before his plea, Sailor fraudulently obtained a $250,000 loan using his own church, Greater New Light Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Atlanta, as collateral. Sailor used the proceeds from the loan to cover various personal expenses, including debts.“His conduct with respect to money became amoral,” Sailor’s lawyer, Bruce Maloy, said. “He found himself in a downward spiral and, I don’t mean this as a pun because he was a pastor, he began robbing Peter to pay Paul.” Sailor always intended to repay the money, Maloy insisted.But Maloy said when the undercover agent proposed money laundering, “it didn’t stop [Sailor]. It wasn’t even a speed bump in the road.”Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hathaway questioned whether Sailor was truly remorseful for what he did, or simply remorseful he got caught.“At the same time he was working with the government and looking the FBI in the eye and saying he was going to cooperate, he was working a new scheme,” Hathaway said.Camp told Sailor if he had hooked up with a real drug dealer and arranged to launder the cocaine profits, “you would have done a great deal of damage to your community.” Camp ordered Sailor to repay $147,802 to his church and serve 240 hours of community service after his release from prison. After the sentencing hearing, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias described Sailor as a man of great potential whose conduct “went way off the rails.”

Ron Sailor Jr was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for money laundering and defrauding the church he once led as pastor.

Ron Sailor Jr was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for money laundering and defrauding the church he once led as pastor.“...

Ryan O'Neil Jeffries, was wanted in McDowell for felony fleeing to elude arrest

Ryan O'Neil Jeffries, was wanted in McDowell for felony fleeing to elude arrest, in Buncombe County for failing to register as a sex off...

Albert “Papa” Thoms. Head of the gang flooding Teesside with the highlyaddictive Crack.

Albert “Papa” Thoms was sentenced to ten years in jail by Teesside Crown Court after he admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The 32-year-old violent gangster headed the conspiracy, monitoring stock, arranging couriers’ travel and even dealing occasionally. His girlfriend and fellow Jamaican, Claudine Neil, 38, was given a reduced sentence of two years in jail when she was sentenced in the summer. Neil played a major role in the network as the telephone operator who arranged the deals – and agreed to give evidence against the rest of the gang. She is now a protected witness and is unlikely to be deported back to the West Indies because of her endangered status as a supergrass. Thoms and his gang moved into Middlesbrough and controlled the supply of crack cocaine to the North-East. His operation made at least £1m profit a year, and threatened to cause a turf war with local gangsters, police feared. After sentencing, Detective Inspector Dave Lamplough, one of four officers commended for their work on the case, said breaking up the gang could have prevented a huge increase in gun crime, like that seen in other UK cities. He said: “This has certainly reduced the availability of crack cocaine in the region, and there is evidence there has been a reduction in acquisitive crime. The availability of crack cocaine in this area was reasonably limited, so this group could have been one of the main suppliers. “As time progressed, it was inevitable that there would have been turf wars and increased violence.” Thoms’ second-in-command – Lloyd Ormsby, 33, from Galbraith Street, London – received a seven-year sentence for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Major dealers Wycliffe Clarke, 37, of Briggeford Close, London, and Marcus Steadman, 30, of no fixed address and who was an escapee from prison at the time of the operation, were jailed for four years each. Three other Jamaican nationals – Neisha Hemmings, 26, from Oxford, Sushana Young, 24, from Wolverhampton, and Stephen Alcide, 47, from London – were given community sentences for lesser roles in the conspiracy. Head of the gang flooding the region with the highlyaddictive drug was identified as Albert “Papa” Thoms. One of his many girlfriends, Claudine Neil, was the telephone “hub” known as Donna to those who called a variety of numbers to make orders. Months of undercover work was carried out to monitor the movements of Thoms, Neil and the couriers and dealers who worked for them. In April last year, more than 400 officers – including armed teams – were used in six force areas to carry out raids and arrests. More than £60,000 in cash and huge amounts of crack cocaine were recovered in the swoops on Teesside, County Durham, North Yorkshire and Tyneside, as well as London, the West Midlands and South Yorkshire. It emerged that the Donna network was making a profit of almost £3,000 a day. Thoms is thought to have had the drugs imported from Jamaica, mixed them with a bulking agent to increase quantity and profit and arranged for their delivery north. Judge Les Spittle ordered a public commendation to Detective Inspector Dave Lamplough, Acting Detective Sergeant Tony Keogh and Detective Constables June Campbell and Phil Burns. Judge Spittle said: “This investigation was a monumental task and this must have been a tremendous team effort. “Each of these officers is representative of a particular area of this investigation and I am pleased there should be on record a public commendation, not only of your work, but also of the vast amount of work of other police officers involved in this investigation.” After the case, the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Sean Price, said: “I firmly believe that the dismantling of this drugs network from the top downwards has prevented the emergence of gun crime on the streets of Cleveland. “The Operation Elland team, led by Det Insp Dave Lamplough, deserve immense credit for their determination to bring to justice those that would bring such misery to the streets of Middlesbrough and the North-East. The large number of convictions, including those at the very top of supply chain, sends out the powerful message that if you come to Middlesbrough to deal drugs, regardless of whether you are local, national or international, you will go to jail. “I also want to stress the important role the public have played in this matter. “It may be that having supplied us with information, some local people may have been disappointed not to see immediate action. “I want to assure the public that there are very good operational reasons for this. Timing in this operation was crucial and once all the information was in place, we were able to move in, secure evidence and take out the whole network in one go. “This would not have been possible without the assistance of the public and I would urge anyone with any further information to contact us immediately.” Det Insp Lamplough said: “It has been two years of painstaking work, but results like today are why you become a police officer. “It has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated team. “This was a partnership between police and public, which has resulted in the removal of an entire drugs network, not just from the streets of Middlesbrough, but the UK. “I welcome the sentences handed out today, which should act as a clear warning to those who mistakenly see drugs as a way of making easy money. “I can assure any other gang hoping to step into the shoes of the Donna network that we will be waiting for them.”

Albert “Papa” Thoms. Head of the gang flooding Teesside with the highlyaddictive Crack.

Albert “Papa” Thoms was sentenced to ten years in jail by Teesside Crown Court after he admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The 32-...

Phillip Grange, Simon Finlay,Peter Hannigan, Darren Morris, and Mark Neville,arrested following an investigation by Cumbria police

Five men are to appear at Carlisle Crown Court next month accused of being involved in a conspiracy to import £14 million-worth of cocaine i...

Juan Manuel Perez-Reyes, Jesus Cruz-Gonzales, Luis Sanchez, and Francisco Gutierrez-Oronia were arrested last week for allegedly trafficking cocaine.

Juan Manuel Perez-Reyes, Jesus Cruz-Gonzales, Luis Sanchez, and Francisco Gutierrez-Oronia were arrested last week for allegedly trafficking...