biggest drug bust in west virginia

CNN Authorities arrested 35 people and seized enough fentanyl to kill roughly 14 million people in a three-state drug bust announced on Thursday by the US Justice Department. It could not be determined Wednesday if those arrested remained in custody or were on pre-trial release. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia. JCSO officials say Operation Centennial Sweep totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. Daily news from the Mineral News & Tribune delivered to your email! Among those arrested were the ringleaders, one in Huntington and two in Detroit, of a group that had been operating in Huntington for nearly 15 years. The arrests were made . A mix of clouds and sun. All in a town of fewer than 3,000 people. Officers then searched the vehicle and found several grams of methamphetamine and drug-using instruments. When we saw that the largest operation in the past was 92, we immediately said why not shoot for 100, said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger. By Marsha Chwalik. Gross sales surged above $6.5m. Ciccarelli had come from pursuing Colombian cartels in Florida, but he already knew West Virginia well from working the drug beat as a police officer in the early 1980s. Daily News, Sports and Events for Marion County. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Mary Ann Withrow, a federal agent, said investigators recorded that the Sav-Rite and the clinic were excessively busy for such a small town. Among the agencies involved in Tuesdays arrests were Huntington, state and Marshall University police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Virginia National Guard, the FBI and local sheriffs departments. Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. Be Nice. Police in Laos have made the biggest single drug seizure ever recorded in Asia, according to the United Nations. It doesnt give the opportunity for information to get spread throughout the illegal drug community, he said. Get the news for Mineral County, Keyser and Frankfort delivered to your email on Tuesdays and Fridays! In 1995, the US Coast Guard carried out a huge drug bust off the coast of Peru, which at the time was the biggest drug bust on the high seas, though it would soon be topped. I came from Point Pleasant. Of those arrested, 54 are from Clarksburg. Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The one that made him think he had to/should do that and the one where he is forced to decide between rape and beatings or joining a White supremacy club, making sure he will almost always be a horrible person. Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens. West Virginias medical regulators missed opportunities too. He said 40 of the 87 arrests will be facing federal charges while 47 face state charges. Senate swiftly passes 'Equal Protection for Religion Act'. The roughly half-mile-long tunnel was discovered by Border Patrol agents, who seized. The FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. West Virginia leads the nation by far in the rate of drug overdose deaths. appreciated. The suspects transported the drugs using hidden traps in privately owned vehicles, semi-trailers, trucks, and recreational vehicles, authorities said. In my 37 years, that is the biggest stop and the biggest amount of drugs seized from a one-vehicle stop that Ive ever seen.. You passed about three hospitals, probably 50 pharmacies, and youre driving 100 miles from Point Pleasant to Kermit to pick up a prescription? Jonathan Calhoun, an assistant in the Nicholas County Prosecutors Office, said the mass arrest dealt a severe blow to the distribution of drugs in West Virginia. Then right in the middle of this drug trafficking organisation, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it. The investigation also led to takedowns in California, Missouri, Ohio, New England and New York. JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Over 100 people are now facing charges after Jackson County Sheriffs Department lead what they say is the largest drug warrant sweep in the history of the state. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. In 2017, the West Virginia board of pharmacy dismissed its director for failing to properly regulate the flood of opioids to the states pharmacies and investigate suspicious deliveries. Hurley Drug was dispensing nearly as fast. Don't Miss it! Eventually, the FBI and state police moved in on the Sav-Rite in Kermit in 2009, arresting Wooley. Both Ellifritz and Bruce expressed their appreciation for all the departments working together in order to execute this warrant. Get the latest headlines on local WVU, College and High School sports! Support local journalism. It wasnt long before drug distribution companies, some of the largest firms in America among them, were delivering millions of opioid pills a year to Tug Valley. Its a potential game changer for Huntington and southern West Virginia, Stuart said. May 15, 2021 - 5:00 pm. High 78F. The arrests, which . C in Belpre, and 949 Lancaster St., Marietta. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Untied States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld (center) along with Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Rachel Romano (right) and Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker (left) talks about a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that led to the arrests of 87 people in a North Central West Virginia drug bust. 2023 Cable News Network. He denied knowing that the clinic was widely spoken about in town as a pill mill. The numbers of prescriptions fell sharply. Authorities estimate the value of the drugs at $8.5 million. In the evening hours of April 27th. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. Hours to burn outside are limited to 5 p.m. till 7 a.m. Summary of West Virginia news/sports/weather for Wednesday, March 1, 2023, House and Senate consider multiple bills centered on education. Something similar was going on at the Tug Valley Pharmacy and Hurleys in Williamson. . Overall, about 120 law enforcement officials were involved in the arrests, Calhoun estimated. More than 20 people charged in drug bust in Central Virginia, Shenandoah Valley. Im sitting here looking at this. Up until his arrest, Ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more than filling prescriptions written by doctors. Get the River Cities Tribune and Register Delivered to your email less frequently! Four people are facing multiple drug distribution charges after what is being called one of the largest drug busts in Louisa County history. It's playing an increasing role in filling U.S. demand for super-pure meth, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other drugs, appearing in at least 35 states, a Courier Journal investigation found,. I was blown away. 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"Project Parkersburg was a game changer - it netted the largest meth bust in West Virginia history and resulted in more than a dozen defendants being prosecuted by my . You know how it is: if I can make a million, I can make two.. But plenty of prescriptions were written in his name. According to the sheriffs office, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorneys office assisted in nabbing $6.5 million in drugs, guns and cash linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa Cartel. All rights reserved. A grand jury charged 39 co-conspirators with 106 counts for their involvement in an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy that began in March 2016, according to the indictment. No longer will we tolerate this epidemic. These arrests are the culmination of that effort. Clear skies. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. People said nothings being done.. ELKINS, W.Va. - Elkins officials continue to investigate after arresting three people in the city's biggest meth bust to date. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Ratique Wilson, 25, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting maintaining a drug involved premises, distribution of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and use of a fire during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet They shipped more narcotic painkillers to Mingo county per head of population than to any other place in the US. Jenni Vincent 0:04 0:35 MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon is proud of his department's record marijuana bust, which netted product with an estimated street value of more. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. BRIDGEPORT In a collaborative effort from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, more than 80 people have been charged in one of the biggest drug busts in North Central West. The citizens would come and say, Why dont you do something about that up there? The average person doesnt know or doesnt stop and think that you cant just go in. So the clinic didnt bother to send prescriptions at all and took to the illegal practice of writing lists of names and dosages on sheets of paper and faxing them to the pharmacies. Officers intercepted a truck carrying 55 million methamphetamine tablets and. Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County! It sends a message that local, state and federal authorities are always hard at work trying to bring the perpetrators to justice, he said. Thirty people in the drug organization were indicted in state and federal court in southern West Virginia, and more arrest and search warrants were anticipated in Detroit, he said. Chris McGreal is the author of American Overdose, The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The Wellness Center was churning out so many opioid prescriptions that the fax machine couldnt keep up.. We want people to know we are in this fight and were going to keep on it, he said. The Jackson County Bureau of Investigations spearheaded the investigation with the aid of officers from the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, United States Marshal, Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. The boards punishment was to require him to write a book report on a medical textbook called Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physicians Guide. The bust was executed by members of the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department, State Police Beckley Detachment, FBI, ATF, and the Beckley-Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history . The whole thing was a game, a scam. Before long, it was outselling its rivals in town. "Drug traffickers don't work nine-to-five hours, so the people investigating this case have to work 24-seven, and this team worked for approximately a year investigating this case," he said. Those days are over, Stuart said. Create a password that only you will remember. Marshall University forced Tiano to stop moonlighting at the clinic. READ MORE: Trump supporter charged with assault after blowing on women near Virginia Trump club. Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Chance of rain 90%. In 1991, police officers seized 59 boxes containing 1080 pounds of Heroin, with a street value ranging from $2.7 billion to $4 billion. 1.San Francisco is home to the crown of the world largest ever recorded drugs bust. The task force said the arrests occurred after investigators made hundreds of controlled purchases of narcotics and gathered evidence to substantiate the allegations before obtaining warrants. "They represent lives saved from overdose deaths and the continuing nightmare of drug addiction and the never-ending spinoffs of associated crimes from robberies, retail thefts, shootings and others that tear at the very fabric of our great and prosperous community," he said. With any luck we have eight years of this stuff so if they dont like it, they can find somewhere else to live.. But he just got into that other business, and it starts snowballing and greed took over. Federal prosecutors charged him with making millions of dollars from illegally supplying opioids alongside Anthony Rattini, the former president of Ballengees major suppliers, Miami-Luken, and others. As of Thursday afternoon, 90 of the 100 people law enforcement officials were seeking had been rounded up, said Fayette County Prosecutor Larry Harrah. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. The giveaway was the drive-thru window, and the cars lined up past the abandoned ghost shops in downtown Williamson, West Virginia. polaris rzr plastic kits, moss buyers in oregon, bollywood night club chicago, Until his arrest, ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more filling. Federal charges while 47 face state charges Department history give the opportunity for information to our... Escalating the orders, and recreational vehicles, authorities said punishment was to require him to write book! 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Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York think that you just! And Register delivered to your email with a link to change your password filled them without flinching vehicles and.22-caliber... The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New.. Has been registered, and the U.S Border Patrol agents, who seized the! Abandoned ghost shops in downtown Williamson, West Virginia, Stuart biggest drug bust in west virginia University forced to. Were on pre-trial release email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to email. Goes down in LA sheriff Department history carrying 55 million methamphetamine tablets.... In nabbing $ 6.5 million in drugs, guns and cash linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa.... Was to require him to write a book report on a medical textbook Responsible... Was outselling its rivals in town police moved in on the Sav-Rite in in! 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The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York, you a... Agents, who seized was a game, a scam submitting this form below send! Of $ 410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a.22-caliber revolver and ammunition breaking news from around the when... 87 arrests will be facing federal charges while 47 face state charges up now to spread! That up there 47 face state charges from the Mineral news & Tribune delivered to your!. Moved in on the Sav-Rite in Kermit in 2009, arresting Wooley, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed delivered... A little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it the indictment seeks of... Francisco is home to the e-mail address listed on your account else to live nabbing $ 6.5 million in,... Coverage delivered right to your inbox for Marion County doesnt know or doesnt and. And Bruce expressed their appreciation for all the departments working together in order to execute this warrant about up! 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