Crime Correspondent

Jerry Germaine Douglas arrested on charges of trafficking in cocaine

Jerry Germaine Douglas. Burbaugh said that through a confidential informant detectives were able to arrange a drug transaction with Douglas, a former Marion resident now living in Worthington, suspected for some time of drug trafficking. "When he arrived at the meeting location in Delaware, (authorities) got him pinned," Burbaugh said. "Once we got him pinned in, Douglas was apprehended without trouble."A passenger in Douglas' vehicle, Haven Nelson, attempted to flee, but was apprehended a few hundred yards away, Burbaugh said.Authorities recovered 126 grams of powder cocaine with an approximate street value of $12,600 from Douglas, who was arrested on charges of trafficking in cocaine. Nelson also faces drug charges after authorities located approximately 40 grams of marijuana with an approximate street value of $400 on him.Simultaneous to that operation, Burbaugh said officers with the Marion City Police Department and deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's Office were conducting surveillance on several locations in the Marion area. Officers arrested two men, Derrick and Brandon Darling, on charges of trafficking in heroin as they attempted to leave a Leader Street address.In addition, Eric Meachem was arrested on Latourette Street, found in possession of 40 balls of heroin with an approximate street value of $850 and a handgun. A woman with him, Jessica Shroats, was arrested on a charge of drug possession.Authorities also executed search warrants at 630 and 632 E. Center St. and arrested occupants there, Troy Blevins and Shawn Thomas, on charges of trafficking in heroin.In addition, a total of over $2,600 in cash was seized. The cases have been forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office for consideration of filing formal charges. Burbaugh said that while many of the individuals arrested know one another, he would not describe this as a drug ring, but rather separate cases completed at the same time. The investigations into these cases began after receiving complaints on many of the listed addresses and through the use of confidential informants. "We tried to hit them all in one day," Burbaugh said. "It's easier to apprehend them all at once because once word gets out, subjects start leaving the area."

Jerry Germaine Douglas arrested on charges of trafficking in cocaine

Jerry Germaine Douglas. Burbaugh said that through a confidential informant detectives were able to arrange a drug transaction with Douglas,...

Abdi Aziz Elmi admitted two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply

Police found large quantities of cocaine and heroin belonging to Abdi Aziz Elmi after a routine stop in the St Michael’s area of Camberley in October last year.After a search of a house in which he was lodging, officers found almost 20 grams of heroin and eight grams of cannabis.The drugs had a combined street value of almost £3,000.They also retrieved a laptop computer that was stolen from a house in Farncombe, near Godalming.The 38-year-old admitted two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, and one charge of handling stolen goods. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Friday to 21-months behind bars. Ruby Selva, prosecuting, told the court Elmi was stopped on St Michael’s Road because he looked drunk.He was searched and £760 and evidence of needles were found. Officers later uncovered a package of white power that had been stuffed in his boxer shorts, as well as his drugs and scales at a house in St Michael’s Road.Elmi, from Hardford Drive, Camberley, has a string of previous convictions for dishonesty, robbery, burglary, and drug dealing. Paul Jackson, defending, said: “Primarily there are three people who contact him [for drugs] and all three of these are his friends. This supports the position it was only social supply. “This is a man who has been addicted to heroin for 13 years.” Prosecutors agreed Elmi had only been selling drugs to friends, much to the dismay of presiding Judge Derek Inman.“I have read the basis of plea and it appears that was accepted by the prosecution,” judge Inman said. “Although that surprises me and other people in the court, I feel bound by that.” He added: “Class A drugs lead to the degradation of people who become addicted to them and like you have to turn to serious crimes to fund their habits.”

Abdi Aziz Elmi admitted two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply

Police found large quantities of cocaine and heroin belonging to Abdi Aziz Elmi after a routine stop in the St Michael’s area of Camberley i...

Brandon A. Edwards charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance

Brandon A. Edwards, 35, of Wilmer, Ala., was arrested shortly after a sheriff's deputy searched his vehicle in a stop about 12:41 a.m. T...

Graeme Ferguson died after being chained and beaten in a Montreal warehouse four days earlier

Robin Cote, 42, was arrested by Montreal Police on March 27 on a Canada-wide warrant for the 2005 slaying of 27-year-old Graeme Ferguson, said an Ottawa police news release issued late Thursday afternoon.Cote is to appear in court on Friday. Ferguson died outside an Ottawa bus station in July 2005 due to blood clots caused by being chained and beaten in a Montreal warehouse four days earlier. The beating took place after he agreed to carry $500,000 worth of cocaine in a suitcase from Vancouver to Montreal, but showed up in Montreal without it. Ferguson said he had left the cocaine behind in Ottawa after he saw police at the bus station. Four men were sentenced in August 2006 to two to nine years in prison each for their role in the beating. At the time, police were still looking for Cote and 29-year-old Paul Layoun.Layoun remains at large, wanted for first-degree murder. In addition to first-degree murder, Cote has also been charged with conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, extortion, aggravated assault with a weapon and conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

Graeme Ferguson died after being chained and beaten in a Montreal warehouse four days earlier

Robin Cote, 42, was arrested by Montreal Police on March 27 on a Canada-wide warrant for the 2005 slaying of 27-year-old Graeme Ferguson, sa...

Daniel Rendon aka Don Mario his men killed a handful of gunmen sent by a former paramilitary boss to assassinate him

Wanted drug lord Daniel Rendon, known as "Don Mario," says in the recording that his men killed a handful of gunmen sent by a former paramilitary boss to assassinate him. The tape shows 25 men who Rendon claims to have captured. "We have had to join forces to defend against an extermination campaign," he says in the video, which was seized by police in Bogota and broadcast on local television. National police chief Gen. Oscar Naranjo said two undercover police officers were among the seven killed. Rendon said they were working for his rivals. "That is a very serious accusation. The police must clarify what these officers were doing there," said Pablo Casas, an analyst at Bogota think tank Security and Democracy.Corruption among state security forces has long been a problem in the world's biggest cocaine-exporting country. Naranjo called for the 25 hostages to be freed and warned that killings among former right-wing paramilitaries still tied to the cocaine trade are rising sharply. Rendon is the brother of a former paramilitary warlord known as "El Aleman," or "The German," who is in prison after disarming in a government peace deal.Rendon accuses another demobilized paramilitary chief, Diego Fernando Murillo, or "Don Berna," who once dominated the underworld in Medellin, of trying to kill him in a bid to dominate smuggling in the Gulf of Uraba, a departure point for cocaine shipments. Murillo issued a statement dismissing the charge as a "clumsy set-up." It said he has left the drug business in accordance with the peace deal. More than 30,000 "paras" have demobilized over the last five years in a process criticized by human rights groups for not forcing ex-militia leaders to dismantle their drug-smuggling and extortion networks.The government admits that thousands of demobilized paramilitaries such as Rendon have returned to crime. The right-wing militias were formed in the 1980s to help drug traffickers and cattle ranchers combat Marxist rebels.

Daniel Rendon aka Don Mario his men killed a handful of gunmen sent by a former paramilitary boss to assassinate him

Wanted drug lord Daniel Rendon, known as "Don Mario," says in the recording that his men killed a handful of gunmen sent by a form...

Griffith Mortimer Davies sold heroin that was kept in a tin hidden in a compost heap.

Griffith Mortimer Davies, 70, sold heroin that was kept in a tin hidden in a compost heap. A jury at Swansea Crown Court found Davies guilty...

Donald Perruso sentenced to four to eight years in state prison

Donald Perruso sentenced to four to eight years in state prison for a string of burglaries, thefts and a chase with police.Donald Perruso pr...

Mandy Sharp was jailed for four months consecutively to her previous sentence, which was due to end this month, after she pleaded guilty

Mandy Sharp, 39, was brought from prison to Teeside Crown Court to be sentenced for supplying the Class B drug after serving eight months for two previous drug offences. The 47 grammes of amphetamines were in a plastic tub and a plastic bag, and she admitted they were hers. Kristian Mills, prosecuting, said that Sharp had been on bail on April 17 last year for possession of Class B and C drugs, and she admitted to a probation officer that she made a conscious decision to continue supplying drugs.Peter Kilgour, defending, said she had been open with the police and she had not claimed that she was holding the drugs for someone else.She first came to the attention of the courts when she was 33, and before then she was an ordinary mother bringing up her children under difficult circumstances.She said that she had been drug free since she was jailed last August, which did not always happen in prison. She was willing to accept the help of the Probation Service to reduce her drug use on her release.He added:"She has a child of 21 months, she just wants to get out and become a mother again. "I ask for the opportunity that she can simply go back to being a mother." Judge Les Spittle told her:"You deliberately decided that you would make as much as you could before you were locked up. "It was a conscious and deliberate decision by you to benefit yourself before you faced the consequences of an inevitable prison sentence for what you had done before. "But frankly, I and the probation officer can see no basis on which I can suspend the sentence. You have got to pay the price. It's up to you, if youreally want to get away from drugs, put your actions where your words are. "If you really want to be a mother again then behave like one." Sharp of Warren Street, Middlesbrough, was jailed for four months consecutively to her previous sentence, which was due to end this month, after she pleaded guilty to supplying a Class B drug.

Mandy Sharp was jailed for four months consecutively to her previous sentence, which was due to end this month, after she pleaded guilty

Mandy Sharp, 39, was brought from prison to Teeside Crown Court to be sentenced for supplying the Class B drug after serving eight months fo...

Robin Cote arrested to face several charges, including first-degree murder

Robin Cote was arrested by Montreal police on March 27 and returned to Ottawa on Thursday to face several charges, including first-degree mu...

Czech Anti-Drug Centre (NPC) recently detained members of two alleged drug dealing gangs, a group suspected of selling pervitine (methamphetamine)

Police from the Czech Anti-Drug Centre (NPC) recently detained members of two alleged drug dealing gangs, a group suspected of selling pervitine (methamphetamine) to Britain and foreigners who police say trafficked in heroin, NPC spokesman Bretislav Brejcha told journalists. The pervitine lab that the first group operated has been one of the biggest that the police recently revealed. Brejcha said an airline employee helped transport the pervitine to Britain. Police will release more information on both cases, dealt with within operations codenamed Lotus and Captain, on Friday. In 2007, Czech police arrested 2031 individuals suspected of drug-related crimes, including 130 foreigners. Police registered an increased interest in cocaine in the Czech Republic of which 37.6 kg were seized last year, or eight times more than in 2006. They also seized some 20 kg of heroin and about 5 kg of pervitine. The NPC has long criticised the fact that medicines containing pseudoephedrine from which pervitine can be produced are sold without a prescription in the country. In 2007, some four million packages of these medicines were sold. The Czech Pharmacists Chamber estimates that some 80 percent of the packages were used for pervitine production.

Czech Anti-Drug Centre (NPC) recently detained members of two alleged drug dealing gangs, a group suspected of selling pervitine (methamphetamine)

Police from the Czech Anti-Drug Centre (NPC) recently detained members of two alleged drug dealing gangs, a group suspected of selling pervi...

Vincent Branson,Heather Tennant,Cory Williams detectives discovered more than 200 grams of cocaine and two pounds of marijuana in a dresser drawer.

Vincent Branson, 28, of 158 Hirn St., and Heather Tennant, 28, of 5996 Egypt Pike. While searching the home, detectives discovered more than 200 grams of cocaine and two pounds of marijuana in a dresser drawer. On a coffee table in front of where Branson was seated was a .45 caliber handgun with several rounds of ammunition. Detectives also found 7 grams of cocaine in Tennant's purse.Later, another resident of the home, Cory Williams, 27, arrived at the scene, saw authorities conducting the search and attempted to leave, backing his vehicle into a pole. He was arrested, and detectives found about a half-pound of marijuana in his bedroom. Authorities also found drug scales and $5,527 in cash in the home, and agents also seized two vehicles, three flatscreen televisions, jewelry and a laptop computer. Branson, Barfield and Tennant were charged with drug abuse-possession of cocaine. Williams was charged with permitting drug abuse."We are trying to keep the dealers off the street," Nichols said.Nichols also believes the drugs they discovered at the residence were for more than personal use. "It's obvious the drugs were going to be for distribution purposes," he said. Late Wednesday afternoon the Ross County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant at a local bank for a safe deposit box owned by Branson.In the box was $136,000 in cash along with $10,000 in jewelry."We acted on information we received last night which led us to the safe deposit box," he said.

Vincent Branson,Heather Tennant,Cory Williams detectives discovered more than 200 grams of cocaine and two pounds of marijuana in a dresser drawer.

Vincent Branson, 28, of 158 Hirn St., and Heather Tennant, 28, of 5996 Egypt Pike. While searching the home, detectives discovered more than...

Jamie Ellis aka Jamie Grainger total of 19 other burglaries he admitted were taken into consideration by the court for his sentence

Jamie Ellis, 23, is believed to have been responsible for a wave of burglaries that has struck St Mellons, Cardiff.The drug addict, who is more commonly known as Jamie Grainger, was caught red-handed during a burglary in Meadvale Road, St Mellons, Cardiff, on February 28, when a neighbour rang police. At Cardiff Crown Court he pleaded guilty to that burglary and one other in Kazemain Bungalows, Newport Road, Cardiff, the previous day.A total of 19 other burglaries he admitted were taken into consideration by the court for his sentence. Detectives believe Ellis would have made some £29,000 from his criminal activities during a crime spree in St Mellons and Old St Mellons that started in December last year.The first offence he admitted was only eight days after he was released from prison on licence in December last year.Detective Constable Steve Colston of the Cardiff East burglary squad said officers believed Ellis had been responsible for pushing up the area’s burglary statistics.Det Con Colston said: “This is an individual we were looking for and we are thankful to the neighbour who contacted us. “Hopefully, there will now be a significant reduction in the number of burglaries in this part of Cardiff.”Ellis, of Trowbridge Green, Trowbridge, Cardiff, was a given four-and-a-half year sentence after he pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. A suspended sentence was activated which means Ellis will serve another six months in jail bringing the total to five years.His lawyer told the court he was committing the burglaries to feed a heroin addiction.

Jamie Ellis aka Jamie Grainger total of 19 other burglaries he admitted were taken into consideration by the court for his sentence

Jamie Ellis, 23, is believed to have been responsible for a wave of burglaries that has struck St Mellons, Cardiff.The drug addict, who is m...

Mark Warne ,Katie Dukes face the prospect of a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty

Mark Warne faces the prospect of a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty to having the drugs last autumn.A second defendant, Katie Dukes, also 28 years old, pleaded guilty to simple possession of the drugs before a jury could be sworn in on the morning of her trial.couple, who live together in Willington Road, Redhouse, admitted having the heroin between Tuesday September 11 and Saturday September 15 last year.Warne pleaded guilty to possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and Dukes to possession of heroin. A third person, Martin Randall, of Balham, London, had also been charged with possession with intent to supply and was alsodue to stand trial.But the prosecution offered no evidence after reading a psychologist's report which had been compiled on the 18-year-old.They also dropped a charge of having a firearm when prohibited from doing so which relate solely to Warne allegedly having a .177 air pistol during the same period of time.Judge Douglas Field, sitting at Swindon Crown Court, recorded formal not guilty verdicts on the two matters and Randall was discharged.He adjourned the hearing for the other two until Wednesday April 30 to allow the probation service to compile pre-sentence reports on them.Rob Ross, for Warne, told the court "While he is entirely accepting he will receive a lengthy jail sentence the court would require a report."The judge remanded Warne in custody and release Dukes on bail on the condition she lives and sleeps at her home.

Mark Warne ,Katie Dukes face the prospect of a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty

Mark Warne faces the prospect of a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty to having the drugs last autumn.A second defendant, Katie Dukes, ...

Dubai International Airport, two Afghan visitors stood trial yesterday for illegally bringing in and possessing 47.6 kilograms of heroin

Two visitors have denied smuggling heroin and claimed that a man promised them a job if they delivered almonds to someone in Sharjah. The two Afghan visitors stood trial yesterday for illegally bringing in and possessing 47.6 kilograms of heroin, which was professionally packed inside almonds, as charged by the Public Prosecution. The suspects, 63-year-old A.S. and 19-year-old K.A., denied their charges and pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance. They claimed that they were unaware the almonds were stuffed with heroin. Customs officers at Dubai International Airport foiled the duo's attempt to smuggle the heroin out of the airport into the emirate and referred them to Dubai police's Anti-Narcotics Department on September 19, 2007. After inspection, police found about 47.6kg of heroin in the almonds which were hidden in 86 small bags.A 28-year-old Emirati customs inspector said in his statement to the Public Prosecution: "The 19-year-old suspect arrived in Dubai onboard an Afghan airline. A colleague of mine suspected that he carried something unlawful and took him to a search room. The suspect carried two handbags in which the almonds were placed. Each handbag contained paper bags, inside each of there were ten smaller nylon bags. Each nylon bag contained a handful of almonds. We discovered that the heroin was packed in small transparent sacks and each stuffed inside an almond."The 28-year-old witness said K.A. claimed that a man named Sajid handed him the handbags in Kandahar and asked him to deliver it to someone in Sharjah. "The suspect claimed that he didn't know that he carried heroin and thought it was almonds. He also said he was promised a job and $2,500 (Dh9,100) cash after delivery," he added. A 26-year-old customs inspector arrested the 63-year-old suspect in a similar manner and he gave the same statement. An anti-narcotics police corporal testified: "The suspect who was scheduled to receive the drugs in Sharjah cut loose and we are still searching for him. "

Dubai International Airport, two Afghan visitors stood trial yesterday for illegally bringing in and possessing 47.6 kilograms of heroin

Two visitors have denied smuggling heroin and claimed that a man promised them a job if they delivered almonds to someone in Sharjah. The tw...

Juan Camacho Calderon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of meth

"I'm guilty 100 percent," Calderon said through a Spanish-speaking interpreter in U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love's court.Juan Camacho Calderon, 40, a suspected leader in the organization, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of meth, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and more than 1,000 marijuana plants, from December 2004 through Oct. 11, 2007. He faces 10 years to life in prison. Calderon admitted that the cocaine and meth were acquired from Mexico and sold in Tyler and the surrounding area. He admitted he was a leader in the conspiracy. On Oct. 11, 2007, Calderon told Maria Lopez that he thought someone was following him and told her to gather a kilogram of cocaine, a rifle, ammunition and about $27,400 from his ranch, at 10570 Farm-to-Market Road 14 in Smith County, and hide them, court documents state. Also located at his ranch were two shotguns, two rifles, a revolver and more than 240 rounds of various ammunitions. Calderon is represented by U.S. Public Defender Ken Hawk, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst is prosecuting the case. The defendant was charged with 20 others in a 37-count indictment after a yearslong investigation, dubbed "Operation Thin Ice," netted $24,000 in cash, 15 firearms, ammunition, 3.5 pounds of meth, 6 kilograms of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. On March 12, Andres Sosa-Saucedo, also known as "Llantas," 39, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and admitted he sold 57 grams of cocaine at his business, Andrew's Used Tires, 6164 Reynolds Road in Tyler. Sosa-Saucedo had a recorded telephone conversation with Calderon in which Calderon asked him to find customers who would buy larger amounts of cocaine, but he found none. Sosa-Saucedo said Calderon talked about horses and colts, but he knew colts referred to cocaine. In the conspiracy, defendants allegedly obtained meth and cocaine from multiple sources and grew marijuana to sell out of their homes and the tire business. They also allegedly sold weapons and used firearms to protect the drug business. The government is seeking forfeiture of the cash and guns, as well as six properties in Smith County.

Juan Camacho Calderon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of meth

"I'm guilty 100 percent," Calderon said through a Spanish-speaking interpreter in U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love's court....

Found actress Natasha Collins dead in the bath

"She took sufficient cocaine to kill people anyway." found actress Natasha Collins dead in the bath But paramedics were unable to revive Natasha, 31, an actress, who had burns over 60 per cent of her body.Yesterday, a pathologist said it was likely the cocaine caused her to collapse while the hot tap was running, causing the horrific injuries.The level of the drug in her blood was 3.42mg per litre while a level of a fifth of that - 0.7mg - can be fatal.Speight, 43, was sworn in to give evidence at yesterday's inquest at Westminster Coroners' Court.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0N5jGO9mjw_HfAfbZfm7QD_mjoCzXid5gCIkZgVDBq-CGnTKQhMH33umOOvEut_J69X2lVqGObP1LpJnokNeL88bUiN7bQ6z0uV8wpYqSDiOWC6023Jl_FzHsxXWCQ_TtPjfBGGAVuzk/s1600-h/211.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185027032086808930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0N5jGO9mjw_HfAfbZfm7QD_mjoCzXid5gCIkZgVDBq-CGnTKQhMH33umOOvEut_J69X2lVqGObP1LpJnokNeL88bUiN7bQ6z0uV8wpYqSDiOWC6023Jl_FzHsxXWCQ_TtPjfBGGAVuzk/s400/211.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a>But he told coroner Dr Paul Knapman he had nothing to add to what he had told police or the evidence of other witnesses. He was only told last month he would not face charges over his fiancee's death in January.The court was also told Natasha showed the signs of long-term drug abuse, with a 1cm hole in the septum of her nose. Paramedic James Eaton told the inquest Speight was "distressed" when he arrived at the couple's penthouse flat in St John's Wood, London, adding: "He just asked us to help the patient."But there was no output from Natasha's heart and her body was covered in scalds.The coroner said police found Speight kneeling over his girlfriend's body.He admitted to police that the couple had taken cocaine, saying: "We were partying."The court had heard the couple had been holed up for two days in their flat taking drugs .Speight then told officers that he and Natasha had drunk wine and vodka and taken sleeping tablets at about 4am on January 3 because they were having trouble sleeping.Natasha had also been having period-related stomach pains.When Speight was sworn in yesterday, the coroner asked him: "For very understandable reasons you are very upset. Is there anything you would like to say in addition to the evidence?"He replied: "No, I can't think of anything." Asked if there was any of the evidence which may be misleading, he said: "Not that I can think of, no."Pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas said: "It is not so much the amount of cocaine (that can be fatal) but the way the cocaine reacts which is unpredictable."He told the inquest the cocaine abuse could have caused Natasha to collapse and the subsequent burns then killed her.Prof Lucas gave the cause of death as cocaine toxicity and immersion in hot water.Recording a verdict of misadventure, the coroner said: "In the privacy of their flat, they had embarked on adventurous behaviour, ignoring the risks."She has suffered the consequences by the ending of her life. It is a tragedy for all concerned."It seems that while Mr Speight was asleep, at some stage she got up and had a bath."It is more likely than not she had some heart problem in the bath that caused her to lose consciousness and unfortunately she had the hot tap still going.A joint statement from Speight, who resigned from the BBC in February, and Natasha's family said: "Natasha was a loving daughter, fiancee, sister and friend with a very positive attitude towards life. "She was always thinking of others. We are devastated that her life was cut short and we miss her deeply."She will always remain in our hearts."

Found actress Natasha Collins dead in the bath

"She took sufficient cocaine to kill people anyway." found actress Natasha Collins dead in the bath But paramedics were unable to ...

Ricardo McKendrick Sr,aka"Little Ricky" Ricardo McKendrick Jr charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute

"We are not playing around," he said. "We are taking the city back. Anyone who doesn't understand that needs to get out." Ricardo McKendrick Sr., 56, and his son Ricardo McKendrick Jr., 36. They were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute, according to Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey.U.S. Attorney General Patrick L. Meehan described the father, known as "Little Ricky," as a "big-time drug dealer in a family-run operation."Seven 55-gallon drums filled with cocaine were confiscated, along with a pile of cocaine bricks, authorities said. Police said the sophisticated operation, uncovered in a stash house in the 2600 block of Federal Street, included a hydraulic press that pressed the cocaine into one-kilogram bricks. Blackburn said the operation also included a machine that cut the cocaine with inert ingredients.About $62,000 in cash and a .38-caliber handgun were seized at the house - but far more money was allegedly found in Woodstown, N.J., at a property owned by a member of the family. There, police said, they found 15 duffel bags filled with between $500,000 and $800,000 in cash.Officials were tight-lipped about where the cocaine came from, where it was headed, and how it was distributed. They said they could not say more because the investigation was continuing.The seizure, officials said, was the result of a joint operation involving Philadelphia police undercover narcotics units, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office.Blackburn said he expected the seizure to put a dent in cocaine trafficking, especially in South Philadelphia. "I think there will be a shortage of drugs on the street," he said, "but not for an extended period of time."The haul far outstripped a February 2007 cocaine bust that authorities said then was the largest in the city's history. In that seizure, police confiscated 100 kilograms of cocaine worth $10 million that was hidden amid boxes of moldy papayas inside a tractor-trailer.Mayor Nutter, on hand for yesterday's news conference, praised the cooperation of the various law enforcement agencies.

Ricardo McKendrick Sr,aka"Little Ricky" Ricardo McKendrick Jr charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute

"We are not playing around," he said. "We are taking the city back. Anyone who doesn't understand that needs to get out....

Rebecca Jayne Hall sold the officer a foil wrap containing 0.11 grammes of diamorphine, a Class A controlled drug, in return for a £10 payment.

Rebecca Jayne Hall sold the officer a foil wrap containing 0.11 grammes of diamorphine, a Class A controlled drug, in return for a £10 payment. The test purchase was carried out by Derbyshire Constabulary as part of Operation Hartley, a crackdown on drug supply in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales. Prosecutor John Cooper told High Peak Magistrates' Court last Wednesday how the undercover officer had made telephone calls on November 14 in an attempt to purchase heroin. "At 19.17 the officer made a third call and was told to go to a telephone kiosk next to the Bulls Head public house on Fairfield Road," he said."The officer attended the phone box and made another call, when he was told someone would be along to meet him. "Approximately 30 to 40 seconds later, a woman walked towards him. She held out her right hand and he gave her a £10 note."He turned his hand over and she had dropped a silver foil wrap into it. This was later tested and found to be heroin, with a street value of £10."Hall, 23, of Fairfield Road, originally denied the offence in interview, but was later picked out during a video identity parade. She pleaded guilty to supplying heroin, but magistrates decided their sentencing powers were not sufficient and committed her for sentence at Derby Crown Court on April 18.James Riley, defending, said: "The defendant had no direct involvement with these telephone conversations. She was at the flat at the time and was told someone was out there and to go and hand them this in exchange for £10."She is a drug user who has been used by the more sophisticated drug dealers."Mr Riley added Hall was determined to break the habit and get free from drugs.

Rebecca Jayne Hall sold the officer a foil wrap containing 0.11 grammes of diamorphine, a Class A controlled drug, in return for a £10 payment.

Rebecca Jayne Hall sold the officer a foil wrap containing 0.11 grammes of diamorphine, a Class A controlled drug, in return for a £10 payme...

Juan C. Bedoya,Francisco Bedoya, Vanessa Bedoya, Gonzalo Rodriguez-Jimenez, and Juan G. Meneses,possession of a controlled substance

Francisco Bedoya, 36; Juan C. Bedoya, 38, and his wife, Vanessa Bedoya, 37; Gonzalo Rodriguez-Jimenez, 38; and Juan G. Meneses, 32; each is ...

Philip F.Sassone was conducting drug transactions at the Jiffy Lube location after normal business hours

Philip F. Sassone Jr., 23, take part in a drug deal after the Rantoul Street business closed Tuesday. Police went in to arrest Sassone and said they found approximately 10 grams of cocaine in 11 bags hidden inside a pack of cigarettes. Sassone, of 37 Dunlap St., Salem, is charged with cocaine possession with intent to distribute and a school-zone violation. The business is near Briscoe Middle School. A woman who answered the phone at the Beverly Jiffy Lube denied Sassone was arrested at work and had no comment. "Mr. Sassone was conducting drug transactions at the Jiffy Lube location after normal business hours," said Patrolman John McCarthy, police spokesman. "During the course of this investigation, it was learned that Mr. Sassone had conducted transactions during normal business hours, as well." Sassone's arrest is the second time in just over a year that police have arrested a Jiffy Lube employee for allegedly selling cocaine while on the job. On March 28, 2007, Jiffy Lube employee Derek Ellcock, then 25, of Salem, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine. Jiffy Lube spokesman Virginia Sanchez said the company is aware of the arrest on Tuesday. "We will fully cooperate with local authorities and are conducting our own internal investigation of the matter," Sanchez said. "We do not condone illegal activity of any kind that involves our service centers, and we take this matter very seriously." Sassone was arrested by police Sgt. Michael Cassola, Detectives Thomas Nolan and Richard Ganey, and Patrolmen Harold Geary and Michael Flynn.

Philip F.Sassone was conducting drug transactions at the Jiffy Lube location after normal business hours

Philip F. Sassone Jr., 23, take part in a drug deal after the Rantoul Street business closed Tuesday. Police went in to arrest Sassone and s...

Mayor of Izucar de Matamoros ,Ruben Gil was arrested in California on March 23, 2008

The mayor of Izucar de Matamoros in the state of Puebla, Mexico, who is under US indictment charging him with narcotics trafficking, has bee...

David Bruce Houston is facing up to 10 years in jail after prosecutors on the Indonesian resort island of Bali accused him of possessing drugs.

Australian man is facing up to 10 years in jail after prosecutors on the Indonesian resort island of Bali accused him of possessing drugs. Police found 3.5 grams of marijuana when they raided a house rented by David Bruce Houston in the Kuta tourist district on December 12, a state prosecutor told a Bali court.Houston, 38, is charged with possessing and keeping an illegal dangerous substance. He also faces two subsidiary charges, narcotics consumption and being an addict.The court heard witness statements from three police officers and a neighbour. The defendant's 19-year-old Indonesian wife testified in his favour. Houston is one of a number of Australians to have been arrested for drugs possession or trafficking in Bali in recent years.Schapelle Corby was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2005 for smuggling marijuana into Bali. She had her final appeal overturned last week.She is housed in the same island prison as the so-called Bali Nine, who were convicted of smuggling heroin from Indonesia to Australia in 2005. Houston's trial will resume next week.

David Bruce Houston is facing up to 10 years in jail after prosecutors on the Indonesian resort island of Bali accused him of possessing drugs.

Australian man is facing up to 10 years in jail after prosecutors on the Indonesian resort island of Bali accused him of possessing drugs. P...

Krystle Dawn Mitchelitis,Charles Matthew Cook,Rejean Arsenault,Robert Vezina charged with possession of cocaine

Three bricks of the drug with a total weight of 3,352 grams were seized in a room at the Cambridge Suites, Monday night, after police executed a search warrant. The amount the drug carries an estimated street value of $670,000, more than double the amount of the police’s largest seizure of $250,000 last week. “This has been an ongoing investigation that the street crime unit has been undertaking for the last couple of months in regards to cocaine, its distribution and its source locations,” said Staff Sgt. Paul Jobe. “We figure this will have a substantial impact on the streets, but it’s not long-term, we have to keep up.” Four males and one female were arrested; one from Sydney, three from Quebec and one from Toronto. Police reported Tuesday that another suspect in the case remains at large. Five people appeared in provincial court Tuesday charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. The five are: Charles Matthew Cook, 22, George Street, Sydney; Rejean Arsenault, 52, Pointe Fortune, Que.; Robert Vezina, 58, LaSalle, Que.; Michael Giordano, 41, Saint-Lazare, Que.; and Krystle Dawn Mitchelitis, 19, Toronto. Federal prosecutor David Iannetti opposed the release of the five who were remanded into custody until Thursday for bail hearings for Giordano, Cook and Mitchelitis and status hearings for Arsenault and Vezina, who have asked for bail hearings in French. Arsenault will be represented by a lawyer from Quebec. While the investigation continues, Chief Dave Wilson expressed concerns the drugs may be tied to organized crime. “My best guess is yes,” said Wilson, when asked about the operation being the work of organized crime. “Until we complete the investigation we won’t know for sure. “I think it’s a possibility because there are so many Cape Bretoners right now going to work transient wise, so they are all across the country and they are making these contacts, contacts with people who are working in the criminal world and coming back here they have a connection to bring the stuff in.” With two substantial seizures in the past seven days, Jobe said the months of work by the street crime unit is beginning to show great successes. “This is all based on investigative techniques and getting into the bowels of the drug trade,” he said. “We’ve started off at the street level, now the officers have targeted the major seizures at the higher level and we will continue.” The large amount of cocaine being seized by police continues to support the theory that the drug has become the drug of choice in Cape Breton, a trend which bothers Jobe. “Since I’ve been here I’ve seen cocaine become the drug of choice and hashish is almost non-existent on the street today as opposed to a number of years ago when (hashish) was the drug of choice,” said Jobe. “We’re living in an advanced age and we’ve seen the OxyContin age when that was a very serious drug on the street. We’ve now gone to cocaine and my only fear is what’s coming next.”

Krystle Dawn Mitchelitis,Charles Matthew Cook,Rejean Arsenault,Robert Vezina charged with possession of cocaine

Three bricks of the drug with a total weight of 3,352 grams were seized in a room at the Cambridge Suites, Monday night, after police execut...

Keflavík International Airport threesome arrested for carrying a total of one kilo amphetamine

A couple in their late twenties or early thirties, traveling from Amsterdam, were caught at customs control at Keflavík International Airpor...

James E. Drugis, Wood Dale, Roselle;Rigoberto Gomez, Alberto Flores

Police arrested 24 people on charges based on suspicion they either supplied, sold or bought the cocaine throughout DuPage County. Authorities also confiscated a cache of cocaine and seven guns.The task force interviewed more than 100 witnesses, developed informants, executed search warrants, conducted extensive surveillance, and obtained wiretaps to secretly listen to hundreds of recorded conversations, including many drug buys.The first sweep of arrests came March 14. On Thursday, a DuPage County grand jury indicted most of the defendants, from the alleged suppliers to low-level buyers. Authorities kept working the investigation through the weekend, when the final arrests were made.The main targets remained Tuesday in the DuPage County James E. Drugis, 33, 289 N. Catalpa Ave., Wood Dale; Santino Colella, 57, 25 Whippoor Will Court, Roselle; Alberto Flores, 31, 337 N. Poplar, Bensenville; Rigoberto Gomez, 32, 1812 Elmwood, Berwyn; and Gabriel Salgado-Laguna, 33, 1824 Mozart, Chicago. The co-defendants, except for Drugis, need $1 million cash for their release. Drugis must post $750,000 cash. It was his neighbor whose complaint sparked the probe. The men are charged with felony criminal drug conspiracy and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.defendants caught facing similar drug charges include: Colella's wife, Elvira, 54, of Roselle; Drugis' roommate, George S. Zakrzewski, 29, of Wood Dale; a neighbor, Victor Rios, 44, 401 Catalpa Ave., Wood Dale; Carol L. Bottoms, 55, 22W310 Peterson Ave., Glen Ellyn; Manuel Contreras, 23, 322 Virginia Ave., Bensenville; Robert C. Hannum, 42, 213 Vermont St., Villa Park; and Frankie Folisi, 28, 2139 Pepperwood Lane, Glendale Heights. At least five people alleged to be low-level buyers also were indicted. The other defendants will be named during today's news conference. Besides Wood Dale officers, the task force includes members of the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group, U.S. Drug Administration, Roselle Police Department and the DuPage County state's attorney's office.

James E. Drugis, Wood Dale, Roselle;Rigoberto Gomez, Alberto Flores

Police arrested 24 people on charges based on suspicion they either supplied, sold or bought the cocaine throughout DuPage County. Authoriti...

Cory Randall convicted for possession of methamphetamine

Cory Randall convicted for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver after a one-day trial.Randall, 31, will be sentenced in May ...

Joel Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking

A judge agreed to release Bohemier on bail yesterday so he can "get his affairs in order" before beginning a penitentiary sentence in October. Bohemier, 37, was one of 18 people arrested last December following a year-long undercover police investigation targeting organized crime dubbed Project Drill. Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking. Additional counts of marijuana trafficking and possession of goods obtained by crime will be dealt with at a sentencing hearing Oct. 7. The Crown and defence will be jointly recommending a prison sentence, the duration of which will depend on Bohemier's behaviour while on bail, said prosecutor Chris Mainella. Justice Doug Abra consented to Bohemier's bail release after family members agreed to sign sureties for $100,000. "If Mr. Bohemier can't stay on the straight and narrow, his family is going to pay a severe financial penalty," Mainella said. While on bail, Bohemier is to observe an absolute curfew except while working as a mover. Career criminal Scott Robertson was paid $500,000 to buy drugs from Project Drill suspects while police recorded the proceedings. Among those caught in Project Drill's net are several Hells Angels and associates and local Hells Angels president Dale Donovan. Court documents describe Bohemier as an "independent" drug dealer who was selling marijuana by the pound and cocaine by the multi-ounces

Joel Bohemier pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of cocaine trafficking

A judge agreed to release Bohemier on bail yesterday so he can "get his affairs in order" before beginning a penitentiary sentence...

Misty Lawrence plead guilty to three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of crack cocaine

Misty Lawrence, 22, of Derry, plead guilty Monday, March 31, to three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of aiding and abetting...

Misty Lawrence plead guilty to three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of crack cocaine

Misty Lawrence, 22, of Derry, plead guilty Monday, March 31, to three counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of aiding and abetting...

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying cocaine

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying the class-A drug after he defrauded a company by ordering plumbing equipment on their account.Police searched the 19-year-old's home looking for the equipment and found the cocaine in a bag in his bedroom. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, Davidson pleaded guilty to obtaining £1,442.43 of goods by fraud on January 14 and being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his home at Niddrie Mill Drive, Edinburgh, on February 2.Davidson had worked for a plumbing firm until October last year, which had a contract with Factotum letting agency.In January, he went to Graham The Plumbers Merchants in the city's Temple Park Crescent where he pretended to still be working for the plumbing firm and ordered a boiler, a shower and plumbing accessories worth more than £1400 on the Factotum account."The person who served him recognised him as having been present with the owner of the company and accordingly the goods were charged to that account as requested by the accused," fiscal depute Sally Clark told the court. She said the following day, a member of staff at Factotum became concerned about suspicious transactions on the company account and contacted police.Officers raided Davidson's home and found a bag of white powder which was later tested and found to be 250 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of £12,500. Davidson, whose address is given as Edinburgh Prison, is due to be sentenced later this month following background reports.

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying cocaine

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying the class-A drug after he defrauded a company by ordering plumbing equipment on their account.Police...