Crime Correspondent

Ryan Welgos Nelson Raul-Gamez, were arrested in Silverthorne following an undercover investigation that wa

Suspected heroine dealer Ryan Welgos waived advisement Wednesday in Garfield County District Court where the Aspen resident was formally charged with nine felonies. Welgos and his alleged supplier, Nelson Raul-Gamez, 24, of Aurora, were arrested June 19 in Silverthorne following an undercover investigation that was spurred by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). DEA officials said the March 23 overdose of Aspen visitor Adam Peterson sparked the probe. The DEA and the Two Rivers Drug Enforcement Team, which assisted with the investigation, claim that the heroin that led to Peterson’s overdose came from Welgos.Since the arrest Welgos, 30, has been in Garfield County Jail. His bond is $40,000. Meanwhile, with his hair cropped short, Welgos appeared before Magistrate Lain Leoniak wearing a black and white striped suit with a thick leather belt binding his cuffed hands to his waist.He appeared calm as he approached the defendant’s table — his parents looking on from across the courtroom.Welgos’ attorney, Arnold Mordkin of Snowmass Village, asked Magistrate Lain Leoniak to waive advisement of the charges, which were filed by prosecutor James Leuthauser. The charges include two counts of conspiracy to sell heroin, a schedule I drug, as well as two counts of possession with intent to distribute, two counts of distribution, two counts of possessing more than one gram, and one count of unlawful use of heroin.Mordkin also filed a motion for a gag order prohibiting anyone involved in the case, including attorneys for both sides and law enforcement officials, from speaking in public or to the press.After the hearing, Mordkin claimed that a DEA press release featured federal agents “shooting their mouths off” and “patting themselves on the back” for arresting his client.Mordkin also argued that statements made by Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario seeking the “maximum sentences allowable” against Welgos unfairly prejudice the case. “That poisons the jury pool,” Mordkin said. “There’s a process we go through … You don’t sentence people until he gets convicted.”Mordkin said Welgos has no police record and deserves to be treated fairly. “This is a guy who’s never been in trouble before,” Mordkin said. “Maybe these people will shut up for a while.”Welgos’ next court appearance is scheduled Aug. 28 at 8:15 a.m., with District Court Judge Daniel B. Petre expected to preside. It is uncertain whether he will plead on the charges, and Mordkin hopes the judge will consider his motion to restrict any pre-trial publicity.

Ryan Welgos Nelson Raul-Gamez, were arrested in Silverthorne following an undercover investigation that wa

Suspected heroine dealer Ryan Welgos waived advisement Wednesday in Garfield County District Court where the Aspen resident was formally cha...

Francisco Burciaga has been charged federally with possession with intent to distribute the heroin

Francisco Burciaga was driving north on Interstate 25 near the south end of Raton when he was pulled over by an officer for failing to use his turn signal correctly. The traffic stop led to a search of the SUV that yielded the heroin stashed in a false compartment behind the rear bumper cover, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in Albuquerque by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officer. The DEA took over the case after Burciaga was arrested. He has been charged federally with possession with intent to distribute the heroin that the DEA estimates would be worth at least $500,000 if sold on the street. The street value for drugs such as heroin varies greatly from place to place and the 36 pounds siezed from Burciaga's SUV could have brought significantly more money in some locations, according to the DEA.Burciaga's lack of proper signaling June 24 caused New Mexico Motor Transportation Officer John Valdez to stop the SUV at about 5:55 a.m. According to the federal affidavit, Valdez could smell a "pungent chemical odor" from the vehicle and later smelled a similar odor coming from Burciaga. The lone occupant of the SUV, Burciaga had a Texas driver's license, but the SUV was registered to him at a Phoenix address. Authorities identified Burciaga as being from El Paso, Texas. The affidavit says the SUV was registered and insured to Burciaga June 23, the day before the traffic stop near Raton. Burciaga told Valdez he was traveling from Phoenix to Chicago.During the stop, Valdez checked with a criminal information system that records criminal incidents involving people going through checkpoints at the U.S.-Mexico border. That check found that Burciaga had "two positive hits related to narcotics," according to the affidavit. After citing Burciaga for the turn-signal violation, Valdez asked Burciaga if there was anything illegal in the SUV and Burciaga responded with, "Wanna look?" and opened the rear door of the vehicle, the affidavit says.Valdez called for assistance and Raton Police Department Officer Cory Coca brought his police dog, Aros, to the scene. Aros indicated that some sort of drugs were in the vehicle, the affidavit indicates. A search revealed the heroin - in 24 individually-wrapped packages - in the false compartment, the affidavit says.Burciaga on Thursday was ordered by a federal judge to remain in custody after Burciaga waived his right to a preliminary trial. In making his decision, the judge noted that Burciaga had "a criminal history with prior convictions and a prior drug offense charge."

Francisco Burciaga has been charged federally with possession with intent to distribute the heroin

Francisco Burciaga was driving north on Interstate 25 near the south end of Raton when he was pulled over by an officer for failing to use h...

Peter Storer pleaded guilty to possession of heroin, cannabis, and buprenorphine

Peter Storer, 38, of Spilsby Road, pleaded guilty at Boston Magistrates' Court to possession of heroin, cannabis, and buprenorphine – a heroin substitute – on April 17.Jim Clare, prosecuting, said Storer had been reported to police at around 6.40am for sleeping in a shed in Chapel Passage, Boston.When the officer arrived at the scene, Storer was caught snorting heroin from tinfoil, and also in possession of cannabis, Mr Clare said.A strip-search followed at the police station, and a cellophane wrapper was discovered in Storer's bottom containing buprenorphine. Terry Boston, in mitigation, said Storer had been prescribed the heroin substitute. He added, however, that his client pleaded guilty because he was unable to produce documentation to prove the claim."Why he tried to hide it in such a peculiar place I have no idea," he said.Mr Boston continued: "He is an addict and he does need to take these drugs. "He has been getting some help towards it, but clearly he is not responding very well to the treatment." The court fined Storer £200 for possession of the drugs, and also ordered him to pay £60 for costs, and the £15 victim surcharge.A forfeiture order was also made for the destruction of the drugs.

Peter Storer pleaded guilty to possession of heroin, cannabis, and buprenorphine

Peter Storer, 38, of Spilsby Road, pleaded guilty at Boston Magistrates' Court to possession of heroin, cannabis, and buprenorphine – a ...

Trapper Hively and Sarah Casto were arrested at the Lancaster Motel after police say they allegedly found heroin and needles in a motel room

Trapper Hively, 26, pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of heroin. He is in Fairfield County Jail on a $10,000 10 percent cash bond and a $5,000 recognizance bond.Hively and Sarah Casto, 23, of Lancaster, were arrested Friday at the Lancaster Motel after police say they allegedly found heroin and needles in a motel room.Casto, 23, who was wanted on a 2007 bench warrant, was arraigned on an alleged probation violation Friday following the arrest. No bond was set for her. Lancaster Police Sgt. Matt Chambers said Sarah Casto and Trapper Hively were arrested just after 9 a.m. Friday at the motel, 533 S. Columbus St. Adult probation officers were acting on a tip Friday when they, along with Lancaster police, say they found 17 hypodermic needles and 10 balloons containing what they believe to be heroin in the room.The Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Task Force arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. A third person in the room at the time of the arrests was not charged, Chambers said.

Trapper Hively and Sarah Casto were arrested at the Lancaster Motel after police say they allegedly found heroin and needles in a motel room

Trapper Hively, 26, pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of heroin. He is in Fairfield County Jail on a $10,000 10 percent cash bon...

Chinedu Leonard Momah pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine.

Chinedu Leonard Momah of Lagos received the maximum 235-month prison term.Momah in February pleaded guilty to possession with intent to dist...

Johnson Fayiah was arrested at Belfast International Airport after getting off a flight from Amsterdam

Johnson Fayiah, 26, was arrested at Belfast International Airport after getting off a flight from Amsterdam.A search proved he had swallowed...

Alexandru Sabau 100,000 Ecstasy tablets, which he intended to trade for 25 kilograms of cocaine

Alexandru Sabau, 37, was arrested near his apartment in Newport Beach Friday after he arrived for a roadside meeting to finalize a drug deal with an informant, Jennifer Silliman, deputy special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Los Angeles airport office said. Investigators found in the trunk of Sabau's rental car 100,000 Ecstasy tablets, which he intended to trade for 25 kilograms of cocaine, Silliman said. The pills typically sell for $20 each on the street, she said. "We believe this individual was seeking to bring significant quantities of Ecstasy into Southern California from Canada, which he told our informants he intended to use as collateral to obtain caches of cocaine for export back to Canada," Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of ICE's Los Angeles office said. Investigators executing a search warrant at Sabau's apartment also found a small amount of cocaine and about $14,000 in cash. Sabau was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He was ordered held pending a July 8 bail hearing, ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. He will be arraigned in U.S. District court July 21. His attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Hayne Yoon, declined to comment. Sabau's immigration status was under investigation, Kice said. His arrest capped a three-month undercover probe which arose from several minor narcotics cases in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles, authorities said.

Alexandru Sabau 100,000 Ecstasy tablets, which he intended to trade for 25 kilograms of cocaine

Alexandru Sabau, 37, was arrested near his apartment in Newport Beach Friday after he arrived for a roadside meeting to finalize a drug deal...

Steven Harrison was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traffic stops

Steven Harrison, 26,was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traffic stops last fall.Harrison -- already facing more than 20 counts of official misconduct, intimidation and theft -- was arrested while free on bail June 20 on the West Side with 10 wraps of heroin in his pocket. He's now also charged with possession of heroin.Chicago officers spotted him buying the dope on the platform at the Cicero Green Line L station about 7:40 p.m., police said.Harrison seemed close to tears as he appeared Friday before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rosemary Higgins. At one point, Higgins barked at Harrison, "Stop with the puppy dog eyes," adding, "You held a position in the community, but you have chosen to flout the law." Harrison, of the 3800 block of West 107th Place, has been in the County Jail, isolated for his own safety, since his latest arrest. He was fired by Oak Lawn in October after being charged with the shakedowns.His attorney, Brian Bennett, urged Higgins to release Harrison so he could receive treatment for his addiction, explaining that Harrison's health insurance benefits had expired following his firing and that there were no drug treatment programs that would accept him while he was jailed.Harrison's parents would keep a close watch on him once he was released, Bennett said.

Steven Harrison was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traffic stops

Steven Harrison, 26,was addicted when he allegedly solicited bribes of up to $250 from as many as 14 Hispanic motorists during illegal traff...

Auguste Durand,Michael Santiago Rikers Island correction officers were fired on Wednesday after they were accused of smuggling marijuana, alcohol

Two Rikers Island correction officers were fired on Wednesday after they were accused of smuggling marijuana, alcohol and tobacco to an inmate who is awaiting trial in the death of a police officer last July, officials said. Stephen J. Morello, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Correction, said it was not yet clear exactly when the two officers, Auguste Durand, 31, and , 24, smuggled the contraband to the inmate, Lee Woods. Mr. Woods is housed in the punitive segregation unit of the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island. On Tuesday, jail officials were tipped off about the smuggling, and they discovered the items during a search on Tuesday night, Mr. Morello said. Officers Durand and Santiago had worked in the Correction Department since August, and they were still in a probationary period, Mr. Morello said. Their dismissal was reported on Wednesday by The New York Post. A representative from the correction officers’ union did not immediately return calls seeking comment. On Wednesday, Mr. Woods was prevented from attending a court hearing while prison officials tried to determine whether he possessed other illegal items, including a weapon, Mr. Morello said. On Thursday morning, Mr. Woods failed a magnetometer test, a search for metal on or inside a person. Officers did not find any visible sign of metal on Mr. Woods, and he was allowed to attend a court hearing but was required to wear mitts and remain shackled, according to a spokesman for Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney.Mr. Woods, Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis are charged with firing from a car at Officers Russel Timoshenko and Herman Yan on July 9 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Officer Timoshenko died five days later. Also on Thursday, Mr. Bostic was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center after complaining that he had fallen in the shower at the jail. He was treated and returned to custody.

Auguste Durand,Michael Santiago Rikers Island correction officers were fired on Wednesday after they were accused of smuggling marijuana, alcohol

Two Rikers Island correction officers were fired on Wednesday after they were accused of smuggling marijuana, alcohol and tobacco to an inma...

Patrick Yacubovich faces an array of charges after police said he sold heroin to two underage girls and also resisted arrest

Patrick Yacubovich, 21, of 160 Old Middletown Road, faces an array of charges after police said he sold heroin to two underage girls and also resisted arrest.Yacubovich was arrested last night after Orangetown police received a tip that drugs were being sold at his home, Detective Patrick Frawley said.Detectives and members of the Police Department's Special Enforcement Unit went to the home just before 9 p.m. and were greeted by a 16-year-old girl who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, Frawley said.She told police that her friend was passed out in Yacubovich's bed, which is where officers found a 17-year-old girl, he said.Both girls told police they had ingested heroin that they bought from Yacubovich, who became combative with police, shoved one officer and resisted arrest.Police said that with the assistance of the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, they obtained a warrant that allowed them to search the home.Following the search and investigation, Yacubovich was charged with two felony counts each of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.He was also charged with 15 counts of possession of a hypodermic needle, one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of unlawfully dealing with a child, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, all of which are misdemeanors. Frawley said police found 15 used needles in Yacubovich's bedroom. The man's parents were out of town at the time of their son's arrest, police said. Yacubovich was additionally charged with three counts of unlawful possession of marijuana and one count of second-degree harassment, all violations. The harassment charge was for shoving the police officer. Yacubovich was arraigned in Orangetown town Justice Court and sent to the Rockland County jail on $10,000 bail. He is due back in court at a later date.Frawley said Yacubovich has been going to New Jersey to buy heroin for several people who live in Pearl River.Yesterday, Yacubovich took the girls to Patterson, N.J., to buy drugs, Frawley said.Police declined to release the girls' names due to their age. They were taken to police headquarters in Orangeburg, where their parents were called. After medical permission was given, the girls were taken by ambulance to Nyack Hospital, where they were checked and released, police said.

Patrick Yacubovich faces an array of charges after police said he sold heroin to two underage girls and also resisted arrest

Patrick Yacubovich, 21, of 160 Old Middletown Road, faces an array of charges after police said he sold heroin to two underage girls and als...

Hema and Pius Onwaso Okolonta arrested

The arrests of Hema and Pius Onwaso Okolonta, the Nigerian,on Saturday came following a tip off that the woman would handover a drug consignment to him which she had brought from Jammu and Kashmir. Police had prior information that Hema had gone to Jammu to take a delivery of heroin on June 27 and will come back the next day and she will handover the consignment to Okolonta near Metro station in Nawada here. As the duo reached the spot, both of them were apprehended by a waiting police team and 3.05 kg of heroin were allegedly recovered from them, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Alok Kumar said. Interrogation revealed that the entire network was led by one Zorawar based in Lahore and his alleged main conduit was one Rummy, who was receiving these consignments at Jammu. Rummy was further supplying these drugs to different Nigerians in Delhi and surroundings areas, Kumar said. Hema has worked in Bhojpuri films and is aspiring actress and model, Kumar said adding she came into contact with Okolonta through a friend of his whom she had met in the bar. Okolonta, who came on tourist VISA in 2006 for six months and now overstaying, allegedly lured her into this drug trade, he said. A case has been registered and further investigations are on.

Hema and Pius Onwaso Okolonta arrested

The arrests of Hema and Pius Onwaso Okolonta, the Nigerian,on Saturday came following a tip off that the woman would handover a drug consign...

Benjamin Arellano Felix known as "El Min", to be extradited

Mexico agreed on Tuesday to extradite drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix to the United States as suspected drug hitmen killed another six people in a border city in the latest round of a killing spree.Arellano Felix, known as "El Min", was head of the powerful Tijuana cartel that operates across the U.S. border from San Diego, California until his capture in early 2002.Mexico's Attorney General's office said Arellano Felix will be tried in a Southern California court on charges of smuggling tonnes of cocaine into California between 1990 and 2000.The decision overturns a decision in May by a Mexican federal judge to block the extradition.Arellano Felix, whose cartel is now run by sister Enedina and brother Eduardo, is the latest high profile Mexican drug lord to be extradited by the government of President Felipe Calderon, who took office in 2006.Calderon extradited former Gulf cartel leader Osiel Cardenas to Texas in January 2007, marking increased U.S.-Mexico cooperation in the drug fight.Mexican drug violence is spiraling as cartels fight each other for control of smuggling routes.The latest six to die in Ciudad Juarez in northern Mexico brought the death toll in the city bordering El Paso, Texas, to 41 since the start of the weekend, police said. Gunmen killed 17 people on Sunday alone.Over 500 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez since the start of the year, making it the most deadly city in Mexico's drug war, despite a large deployment of well-armed troops and federal police.Calderon said on Tuesday the surge in killings in places like Ciudad Juarez was due to local gangs battling over ever smaller smuggling turf. More than 4,000 people have been killed in drug violence since December 2006, when Calderon took office. More than 1,600 people have been killed this year, a faster rate than in 2007.

Benjamin Arellano Felix known as "El Min", to be extradited

Mexico agreed on Tuesday to extradite drug lord Benjamin Arellano Felix to the United States as suspected drug hitmen killed another six peo...

Shanu Krawiec appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday and was charged with two counts of importing illegal drugs into Australia

Shanu Krawiec appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday and was charged with two counts of importing illegal drugs into Australia. He was remanded in custody to appear again on October 3. Mr Krawiec, 32, is one of several Australians charged during a three-year Australian Federal Police investigation. AFP agents claim the probe smashed the global smuggling syndicate allegedly run by the supergrass from Amsterdam. An extradition request to get the supergrass back to Melbourne was approved in April but he is still in an Amsterdam jail pending an appeal. Before he left he provided police with the names of his celebrity cocaine customers. Those he dobbed in included top models, entertainers and other members of Melbourne's A list. The AFP claims the arrest of Mr Krawiec in Thailand allegedly shut down the Bangkok end of the supergrass's worldwide operation. Thai police played a major role in tracking down and arresting Mr Krawiec for the AFP on January 24 and AFP agents flew into Melbourne with him last week. The syndicate was allegedly operating out of the Netherlands sending drugs to Australia, Canada, Thailand and other countries. AFP intelligence suggests the gang specialised in getting couriers to hide cocaine in their bodies. The supergrass, who is the only alleged syndicate member whose name remains suppressed, secretly taped Tony Mokbel for police. He was also instrumental in getting Victoria's drug squad scrapped in 2001. Evidence gathered by him was crucial to the convictions of two corrupt members of the squad. The supergrass fled overseas in May 2004 when underworld figures put a $1 million bounty on his head after discovering he was an informer. A Melbourne man who played a minor role in the syndicate was jailed this month. Alexander Leigh Neil Pugh, 32, was given a three-month sentence. Melbourne Magistrates' Court was told Pugh's job was to help Mr Krawiec organise money for the operation's cocaine imports.

Shanu Krawiec appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday and was charged with two counts of importing illegal drugs into Australia

Shanu Krawiec appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday and was charged with two counts of importing illegal drugs into Austral...

Johnston Fayiah was sentenced to four and a half years by Antrim Crown Court

Johnston Fayiah, 26, who has an address in the Netherlands but a family in Nigeria, was sentenced to four and a half years by Antrim Crown Court. Judge Patrick Lynch told Fayiah if the bags had burst he would have ended up as "a corpse rather than a prisoner". The drugs, with an estimated value of £100,000, were discovered in an X-ray. The judge added that while Fayiah had acted out of his "own personal greed - for narrow financial gain", he was prepared to accept he was a drug courier, rather than a major player. Fayiah, with an address at Honzelean, Kemper, was stopped by customs because "he fitted the profile of a potential courier" after coming off an Amsterdam flight at Belfast's International Airport on 5 January, 2008. When initially questioned he denied having any drugs, but agreed to have an X-ray, which showed up the 300 grams of the Class A drug contained in the packets. Despite this however, he claimed to know nothing about them, before admitting that he had been approached "by a man called Dan" who'd paid him 500 euro, with the promise of a further 1,000 euro upon his return to Holland. Defence said Fayiah, who has a wife and child in Nigeria, had escaped the west Africian country when he was 17 during a civil war which claimed the lives of his parents. He added that Fayiah agreed to take the drugs because "he was in extreme financial difficulties at the time".

Johnston Fayiah was sentenced to four and a half years by Antrim Crown Court

Johnston Fayiah, 26, who has an address in the Netherlands but a family in Nigeria, was sentenced to four and a half years by Antrim Crown C...

Bakhos Jalalaty The founder of DJ's Fine Foods had offered his marital home near Windsor and $100,000 from his wife's aunt's retirement fund

Bakhos Jalalaty, 45, of Maroota, had offered his marital home near Windsor and $100,000 from his wife's aunt's retirement fund to try to secure his freedom.The founder of DJ's Fine Foods of Blacktown was appearing via a videolink from Parklea jail before magistrate Allan Moore in Central Local Court this afternoon. Jalalaty was charged earlier this month by federal police with allegedly conspiring with the deputy head of investigations for the NSW Crime Commission, Mark Standen, to import 600 kilograms of pseudoephedrine that was to be used in the manufacture of $30 million worth of the drug ice.The alleged chemicals were to have been hidden in bags of rice in a container shipment from Pakistan that were to be sent to Jalalaty's business.But in refusing bail today, Mr Moore said that "any security being offered is minimal'' to the alleged financial gain that the product was to be sold for. He ordered Jalalaty to reappear before the court on August 6. Earlier in court, Jalalaty's barrister Greg Jones disputed the clarity of secretly recorded telephone intercepts by federal police, which allegedly reveal a plot by Standen to import the chemicals.Mr Jones told Sydney Central Local court that at least half of the conversations contained on 14 CDs of phone intercepts were "unclear" when he listened to them. Both Jalalaty and Standen, 51, were also charged with conspiring to supply a prohibited drug and conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Twelve others have also been arrested in the Netherlands. The alleged go-between in the conspiracy with Standen and Jalalaty, British national James Kinch, 49, was arrested in Thailand.Mr Jones told Mr Moore today that a 24-page statement of alleged facts relied upon by federal police to charge his client was based on extracts from listening device recordings of telephone conversations between September 2007 and May of this year. Mr Jones said he listened to copies of the alleged recorded conversations contained on 14 CDs."Thirty per cent are clear, 50 per cent are unclear and the remaining 20 per cent (of the recordings) fall within a grey area (of interpretation)," he said. Mr Jones said that in 1996, the High Court ruled that telephone intercepts had to be accurately recorded to be relied upon in evidence.

Bakhos Jalalaty The founder of DJ's Fine Foods had offered his marital home near Windsor and $100,000 from his wife's aunt's retirement fund

Bakhos Jalalaty, 45, of Maroota, had offered his marital home near Windsor and $100,000 from his wife's aunt's retirement fund to tr...

Delfon L. Hare sentenced to 30 years

Delfon L. Hare of Riverdale on Friday, based on his recent and prior drug convictions. Once Hare is released from prison, he must serve 10 y...

Megan Smethurst Protection officers found 2.3 pounds of ecstacy, worth an estimated $10,000, in her purse

Megan Smethurst, 20, was apprehended at the Peace Arch border crossing after an inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers fo...

Raymond Owen had more than 1kg of cocaine, worth more than £55,000, and almost £214,000 cash scattered about his rented house

Raymond Owen had more than 1kg of cocaine, worth more than £55,000, and almost £214,000 cash scattered about his rented house on Grantham Gr...

Michael Hunt, 30, threw a package containing 24.3g of heroin, worth £2,430 on the streets, out of a window,

Michael Hunt’s home in Haswell Court, Stockton, was searched by police on April 19 last year and Hunt, 30, threw a package containing 24.3g of heroin, worth £2,430 on the streets, out of a window, Teesside Crown Court heard.Digital scales and 11 pieces of paper carrying his phone number were also found, said prosecutor Harry Hadfield.While on bail during long delays bringing the case to court, Hunt, pictured, was caught with heroin on April 1 this year.He ran from police in Talbot Street, Stockton, and discarded three packages in a garden. They contained a total of 280.6g of heroin worth £14,180.A drugs squad officer believed only a trusted member of the illicit drugs market would be caught with that amount, the court heard. Hunt had some scales in his pocket and 2.3g of cannabis.He admitted two charges of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and one of possessing a Class C drug.He had previous convictions, but none for drug dealing.Brian Russell, for Hunt, said Hunt was intimidated to transport and store drugs, gaining only drugs for his own use.The judge, Recorder Henry Prosser, accepted he was not at the top of the hierarchy, but dealing was taking place at Hunt’s house and the offences were “hugely serious”.Hunt’s partner at the time of the first raid, Leanne Saunders, 26, a Stockton Council drug support worker, who also worked with drugs group PANIC, was given an 18-month conditional discharge with £100 costs.She admitted possession of 0.02g of heroin - traces found in a Kinder Egg. It was accepted she relapsed into heroin use and was not involved in dealing.

Michael Hunt, 30, threw a package containing 24.3g of heroin, worth £2,430 on the streets, out of a window,

Michael Hunt’s home in Haswell Court, Stockton, was searched by police on April 19 last year and Hunt, 30, threw a package containing 24.3g ...

Adam D. Meyer,Elizabeth S. Lawyer "It was a heroin deal gone bad,"

Adam D. Meyer, 22, formerly of Dixon, and Elizabeth S. Lawyer, 26, were arrested Thursday in the apartment they share on state Route 84.They...

Julia Ann Santos,Marisol Sanchez charged with possession of heroin

Marisol Sanchez, 39, of 659 State St., Apt 2B, was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of ...

Charles Joseph Campbell Sr.,Cathy Lynn Campbell,Charles Joseph Campbell Jr, family was booked at the Mackinac County Jail

Charles Joseph Campbell Sr., 50, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver marijuana and for maintaining a drug house. He posted $1...

Antonio T. Mickens charged with trafficking crack cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver cocaine and Ecstasy

Antonio T. Mickens, 22, was charged with trafficking crack cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver cocaine and Ecstasy; while McKenzi...

Filiberto Parra Ramos aka "The Bitch", was arrested along with 58 other men

Filiberto Parra Ramos, nicknamed "The Bitch", was arrested along with 58 other men on Saturday (local time) by soldiers who raided...

Alice English was found guilty last month by Quebec Court

Alice English, a 55-year-old mother of four and grandmother of 12, who worked as a guard for 16 years, was found guilty last month by Quebec Court Judge Patrick Healy on four counts of trafficking in drugs and one of conspiracy to traffic.Both the Crown and defence had suggested a sentence of 5 1/2 years.Healey's decision gives English 64 months and one week in jail - five years, four months and one week. During her trial, Healy dismissed court testimony English gave in February as "self-contradictory." He accepted without argument an earlier confession by English videotaped by investigators during which, he noted, the accused appeared relaxed and even joked.English provided "a complete confession," the judge concluded. "It was clear and deliberate, fluid and unrehearsed. It was replete with factual details that were provided spontaneously and without suggestion or prodding."The gravity of the offence was compounded by the breach of trust that had been placed in English as a public servant, Judge Healy stated, as well as the quantities of drugs involved. Evidence showed that while on sick leave, about 5 a.m. on July 7, 2005, English carried coffee cans into Bordeaux prison containing 110 rocks of crack cocaine, weighing 38.5 grams, 2.8 kilograms of marijuana, 1.1 kilos of hashish, one gram of cocaine, pornographic magazines and five cellphones with batteries. She placed the contraband in a garbage bin, where it was discovered about 6:30 a.m. The value of the contraband, once in prisoners' hands, had been pegged at $257,500 in police testimony.

Alice English was found guilty last month by Quebec Court

Alice English, a 55-year-old mother of four and grandmother of 12, who worked as a guard for 16 years, was found guilty last month by Quebec...

Filiberto Parra Ramos, nicknamed "The Bitch", was arrested

Filiberto Parra Ramos, nicknamed "The Bitch", was arrested along with 58 other men on Saturday (local time) by soldiers who raided...

Michael Dudas pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiracy to import marijuana.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyLBAE-S-4uR82pBxQusPcmi0Qe3xzTRtoBZWxOpi62xArXeQ5Gg9jiezJwNbW5dqXczDhcYrNc9KlOnD5QUrFBc3QQD2xS9eDrcHXMdCB3qCOjUJBq4-8VNrR8wN45zB-0X8WgED4e0/s1600-h/415074267_m.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214920692651242050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyLBAE-S-4uR82pBxQusPcmi0Qe3xzTRtoBZWxOpi62xArXeQ5Gg9jiezJwNbW5dqXczDhcYrNc9KlOnD5QUrFBc3QQD2xS9eDrcHXMdCB3qCOjUJBq4-8VNrR8wN45zB-0X8WgED4e0/s400/415074267_m.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Michael Dudas pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiracy to import marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Dudas, 35, front man of a Canadian rock band faces decades behind bars after admitting he smuggled loads of marijuana is among dozens of people arrested in a two-year investigation that nabbed drug smugglers flying tons of drugs across the Canadian border into Washington.Key members of the smuggling operation were arrested in 2005 in Snohomish County. Dudas is among the many drug smugglers who have used Snohomish County as a distribution point for their operations. Earlier this month, federal authorities arrested the suspected kingpin of a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking ring with ties to the Hells Angels. The traffickers used the county as a shipment hub, authorities said.Three Snohomish County residents also were indicted in connection with the smugglers busted June 5, including two people who are accused of storing the dope on their properties.The drug traffickers allegedly trucked potent "B.C. Bud" in hollowed-out logs and stuffed in plastic drain pipes across the Canadian border to places such as Arlington and Stanwood. The dope was shipped across the country."We're a distribution point and they're smuggling in every way possible -- boats, helicopters, trucks and backpacks through the woods," Washington State Patrol Lt. Richard Wiley said. Dudas admitted he paid $33,000 for a Robinson R-22 helicopter in Ohio and arranged for a pilot to fly marijuana into the states, federal prosecutors said. The dope was stuffed in large duffel bags and strapped to the outside of the helicopter. The cargo was off-loaded at a remote landing zone near Darrington, authorities said. Two marijuana loads were seized in 2005. The pilot and off-loaders already have been sentenced in related cases.Among those nabbed were two former part-time Edmonds Municipal Court judges, attorneys James White and Mark Vanderveen. They admitted to being paid off to help assist the drug traffickers. Authorities were tipped off to the attorneys' involvement after Doug Spink, a bankrupt Canadian businessman, was captured in February 2005 on U.S. 2 near Monroe. He had more than 374 pounds of cocaine in the back of his vehicle. The $34 million bust was one of the biggest in state history.Authorities say they've seen a drop in marijuana smuggling across the Canadian border, but pot production is up in the state. Drug traffickers with ties to Canadian operations are setting up indoor marijuana farms across the Puget Sound area, Wiley said. The rings are buying houses and paying people to tend the growing plants.The operations are bringing violence with them, authorities said. Two people were shot to death last year in an Everett house, where police found hundreds of marijuana plants. The victims were being paid to care for the dope.

Michael Dudas pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiracy to import marijuana.

Michael Dudas pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiracy to import marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Duda...

Transportation Security Administration and a former Delta Air Lines employee assigned to Atlanta's airport have pleaded guilty in federal court

The former Delta employee, 42-year-old Leslie Adgar, and 1 of the former TSA workers, 44-year-old Jon Patton, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to...

Laura Trevino,Adriana Trevino,Evelia Trevino arrested for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the United States

A woman and her three daughters have been arrested for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the United States in what the port director called...

Christopher Ferraro pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in commercial quantities of drugs.

Christopher Ferraro, 29, of Doncaster, organised safe houses for the storage of drugs for the syndicate, which called itself The Company. The Supreme Court heard Ferraro's friends from his days at Whitefriars College, Joseph John Mansour and Bart Rizzo, ran the drug business while Mokbel was on the run in Greece. While Mansour and Rizzo allegedly personally received instructions from Mokbel, Ferraro did not know him and played a lesser role involving storing amphetamines and drug-making chemicals in return for cash. From January 2006 to June 2007, the group moved 42kg of speed with a wholesale value of $4.2 million but with a street value many times that, the court heard. Ferraro's cut was $500 for each pound of amphetamines he stored for The Company. Defence lawyer Rob Melasecca said his client wasn't in it for the money. He said Ferraro, who has cerebral palsy, was bullied as a teenager because of his disability. He felt indebted to Rizzo and Mansour as they were his close friends and protectors at school. Ferraro, who has no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in commercial quantities of drugs. Judge Betty King will sentence Ferraro at a later date.

Christopher Ferraro pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in commercial quantities of drugs.

Christopher Ferraro, 29, of Doncaster, organised safe houses for the storage of drugs for the syndicate, which called itself The Company. Th...