Officers assigned to the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force have been working diligently over the past several months to identify and gather evidence against numerous individuals in Nicholas and Fayette Counties who are allegedly engaged in the sale and distribution of various controlled substances in these counties, the offices of the prosecuting attorneys said in a joint statement. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force . Though West Virginia has had boom-and-bust cycles since, Census Bureau data shows it has lost population every year since 2012 and now has about 1.8 million residents. A second mate and a crew member have been arrested in the. "That is a snapshot, one day in the time of this case … so that tells you that over the whole year of the investigation the breadth of this conspiracy and this illegal enterprise," Bernard said. We'd love to hear eyewitness Spring fire season means fire burning guidelines. Evening headlines from the Charleston Gazette-Mail, The latest in travel and recreation around West Virginia, The daily opinion newsletter from the Charleston Gazette-Mail. On Wednesday WSAZ reported the first part of the two-day operation, Operation Centennial Sweep, which has been in the works for roughly one year. series identifies 13 of city's top drug dealers; dealers listed as: Joseph DiPalermo, Charles DiPalermo, Virgil Alessi, Ralph Tutino, Leroy Barnes, James Lofton, Frank Lucas, Steven Monsanto . There was an error processing your request. No longer will we tolerate this epidemic. At the Disco breaking up after almost 20 years of music (FlipSide). High 74F. Something similar was going on at the Tug Valley Pharmacy and Hurleys in Williamson. Sign up for the only WV Government and Business newsletter delivered each week! Martinsburg. Do Not Sell My Personal Information Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia. 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. Everyone was going along with it.. I tried to use the wire fraud to get everybody, the pharmacies and the doctors. By Marsha Chwalik. The arrests were made . The giveaway was the drive-thru window, and the cars lined up past the abandoned ghost shops in downtown Williamson, West Virginia. Temperatures in Virginia. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. In some cases, the defendants face penalties of five to 40 years in prison, 20 years in prison and 10 years to life, Bernard said. Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox. Before long, people in town were calling the Williamson Wellness Center a pill mill. Covid-19 could be making things worse. But Smith quickly discovered that users were happy to tell him where he could find doctors to write prescriptions and drug stores to fill them no questions asked. Its a potential game changer for Huntington and southern West Virginia, Stuart said. Its pretty much a cartel. Todays effort is not targeting addicts or corner dealers but trafficking organizations that have made Huntington an unfortunate target of their profits, Stuart said. Daily updates from Blue Gold News for WVU sports. 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. 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. Investigators said the bust is the largest drug haul in the world in terms of both value and quantity. A drug trafficking organisation, said Sgt Mike Smith of West Virginia state police, who spent years unravelling the web of doctors, pharmacists and drug companies that made rural Mingo county the opioid capital of America. All those arrested were transported to previously established areas for processing before being transported to magistrate courts for their arraignments. . "The operation in this case, I think it's fair to say, dealt with millions of dollars of drugs and proceeds," he said. Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. Tug Valley Pharmacy was late to the gold rush, but swiftly made up for lost time. Daily News, Sports and Events for Preston County. We won't share it with anyone else. Wendys chili is coming to store shelves. Investigators discovered the pharmacies lined up bottles pre-filled with set amounts of pills. 3. . However, what they did is they talked to the pharmacists and told them they couldnt do that any more, he said. Get the news for Mineral County, Keyser and Frankfort delivered to your email on Tuesdays and Fridays! "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. Chance of rain 90%. Copyright 2023 West Virginia MetroNews Network. We knew what was going on. Like Ballengee, he claimed not to know about the reputation of the prescribing doctors, including one who was described in a local newspaper as a danger to the community because he prescribed thousands of addictive pills without legitimate purpose. There was a lot of money being made.. You know how it is: if I can make a million, I can make two.. The pharmacist persuaded his assistant at the drugstore, Debra Justice, to set up a medical clinic just outside Kermit and they recruited a doctor more than an hour away at Marshall Universitys medical school, Dr John Tiano. Large amounts of suspected fentanyl, heroin and cocaine were seized from the operation before the sweep, including enough fentanyl to kill 250,000 people. 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. An informant tipped them off that Debra Justice and Wooley had hatched a get rich(er) quick scheme to open a pain clinic that would refer all of its prescriptions for controlled substances to Sav-Rite Kermit, and that they were handing out drugs like candy. They said I was right in what I was alleging. Four people from Fairmont were taken into custody with the operation. He worked with an FBI agent, Joe Ciccarelli, with a long history of drug investigations. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The arrests, which . The unemployment rate comes in at a scary 11.0%, while even people who find jobs have to make due with a median income of just $36,793. It sends a message that local, state and federal authorities are always hard at work trying to bring the perpetrators to justice, he said. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. According to indictments . Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. The suspects attempted to thwart law enforcement surveillance using Facebook, and encrypted communications apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp, according to the indictment. Doctors wrote the prescriptions. Copen, Samuel Bo Copen, Jesse Copen, Sandy Copen, Nikki Copen, Stacy Williams, Brandon Carpenter, Debbie Wright, Jessica Ward, Karrisa Griffith, Terry Lewis, Sammy Kesterson, Brenda Gray, Janet McKinney, T.J. Sweet, Belinda Seabolt, Warren Ryder, Mandy Hinkle, Rick Wright, Chris Harris, Kelly Potter, Stacy Hanshaw, Sandra Cartwright, Earl Taylor, Witley Cogar, Dave Lawrence, Misty Russell, Sam Griffith, Chris Redden, Coy Gwinn, Randy Tinney, Matt Shaffer, Charlie Thomas, Miranda Puckett, n Summersville area: Brittany Potter, Jason Dancy, Bart Legg, Crystal Cook, Mark Grose, J.R. Ellison, n Craigsville area: Danny Holmes, Jason Johnson, Rick Meadows, John Hall,Nikki Myers, Candice Bess, Amber Farley, Stacey Bays, Candy Dillard, Tim Wright, Andy Rose, n Birch River area: Donna Gregory, Rebecca Morris, John Criss, Pat Dillion, n Mount Nebo/Ennon areas: Andrew Haas, Matt Lipps, Edward Stricker, Eddie Hughes, n Ansted/Fayetteville/Oak Hill/Mount Hope areas: Zach Hodge, Andy Walton, Watrina Jackson, Patty Adkins, Jackie Young, Chelsie Adkins, Christa Smith, William Smith, Austin Smith, Jericho Wriston, Shannon ODell, Jerome Comer, Michael Stanley, Michael Payne, Marcus Brisco, Keri Jacobowski, Trisha McMillan, Aaron Pack, Travis Hopkins, Jareth Myers, n Gauley Bridge/Smithers/Montgomery/Powellton/WV Route 61 areas: Michael Schoolcraft, Eddie Young, Joey Given, Yvonne Legg, Speedy Legg, George Leake III, Jeff Evans, Eric Perez, Cameron Cochron, Rayshawn Payne, Shawn Patton, Bubby Fragale, Barry Mitchell, Kevin Smith. Offering praise for the 14 agencies involved, including the drug task force, which led the overall effort, Harrah said Thursdays actions are especially important and send a message to local communities. A Hagerstown appliance store owner is charged with using it as a front for an illegal drug operation estimated to havehandled millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, according to federal authorities. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Huntington is a safer city today, but we continue to be vigilant.. Officers found an assortment of illegal drugs in the home on Vine Street in Humboldt, including 35 pounds of marijuana, four ounces of cocaine, and 30 pounds of methamphetamine. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Richard Montgomery High School student accused of robbing Shell gas station at knifepoint. The Justice Medical Complex opened in the spring of 2005, a 10-minute drive from Kermit. Officers intercepted a truck carrying 55 million methamphetamine tablets and. Ihlenfeld said nine of those charged were already incarcerated. If the warnings sounded by pain specialists and doctors in the first few years had been heeded, the crisis might have been averted or at least greatly diminished. Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron . Operation Angels Envy also had a far-reaching impact throughout the DMV. Four suspects named in the indictment remain at large: Jennifer Bing, Parris McMillan, Mark David and Travis Walters, Terwilliger said. Reach Joel Ebert at joel.ebert@dailymailwv.com 304-348-4843 or joel.ebert@dailymailwv.com or follow @joelebert29 on Twitter. racist or sexually-oriented language. Then right in the middle of this drug trafficking organisation, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it. As a landmark federal opioid trial nears completion, West Virginia communities are demanding $2.5 billion in compensation. At least one suspect ordered fentanyl from a vendor in Shanghai that was successfully mailed through US Postal Service to Newport News, Virginia, according to the indictment. Apparently a VERY big Trump and Kyle Rottenhouse(or whatever that stupid kid's name is) Fanboy according to his FB account. The circle was complete. Low near 55F. 2021, the Eastern Panhandle Drugs & Violent Crimes Task Force and the Martinsburg City Police Department Detective Unit and Uniformed Patrol Division, were involved in a combined effort investigation which resulted in a traffic stop of a vehicle on South Queen Street. As of Thursday afternoon, 90 of the 100 people law enforcement officials were seeking had been rounded up, said Fayette County Prosecutor Larry Harrah. But at the front end were thousands of pharmacies dispensing the pills, and among the pharmacists were profiteers. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. People came from hundreds of miles around to buy the powerful drugs from pharmacies linked to pill mills where compliant doctors prescribed indiscriminately. Zombie drug seen in Cabell Co. Kanawha County man has been missing for 7 years, Man wanted for pointing handgun at person, Some parts of Columbus Zoo are getting upgrades, I-64E reopens after tractor-trailer crash in Cabell, JB McCuskey launches run for West Virginia Governor, Applications open to participate in Hillbilly Days, Waverly man arrested for abducting person with firearm, $409K to be used for affordable housing in WV, The New StormTracker 13 VIPIR Real Time Radar, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Sign up to get our statewide obits delivered to your inbox daily. They shipped more narcotic painkillers to Mingo county per head of population than to any other place in the US. In 2001, the West Virginia bureau of criminal investigation sent Smith to investigate a surge of opioids pills on the streets. Published: Sep. 13, 2020 at 1:02 PM PDT. Low 54F. Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as Papi, 48, of the Dominican Republic, is one of 34 people indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of West Virginia on charges stemming froma multi-state drug operation, according to Randolph J. Bernard, the district's acting U.S. attorney. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history . Updated: Mar 19, 2021 / 02:47 PM EDT BOONE COUNTY, WV (WOWK)According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence along Hendrick's Drive in Keith and arrested 54-year-old Paul Thomas "Paulie" Lombardi from Orgas, West Virginia on Thursday. In 2016, a major drug distributor, McKesson abruptly ended its contract with Tug Valley Pharmacy when West Virginias attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, filed a lawsuit against the company accusing it of recklessly distribution millions of pills across the state. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Our culture is so messed up. May 15, 2021 - 5:00 pm. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. 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. Seized in this stop were 5 ounces of pure Fentanyl, 8 ounces of Crack Cocaine, 1 ounce of Heroin, 13 ounces of Heroin & Fentanyl mix, a 40-caliber handgun and $16,470 in U.S. currency. Get the River Cities Tribune & Register Delivered to your email everyday! You have permission to edit this article. In addition to Mota, the news release listed those indicted in connection with the alleged operation as: All but 11 of the defendants had been arrested as of Wednesday. Daily news from the Mineral News & Tribune delivered to your email! Drug firms say they acted responsibly in shipping millions of pills. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But he just got into that other business, and it starts snowballing and greed took over. Murphy told CNN affiliate WSB that it is by far the biggest heroin seizure in Georgia's . Threats of harming another People said nothings being done.. Four different education bills were voted on in both chambers. Twenty minutes drive to the north, the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in the village of Kermit, population 280 and falling, was outstripping them both. The investigation is ongoing at this time. Winds light and variable. Invalid password or account does not exist. Drug distributors delivered more than 30m opioid pills just to those three pharmacies, in one of the poorest counties in America. The investigation also led to takedowns in California, Missouri, Ohio, New England and New York. READ MORE: Virginia massage therapist arrested for sexual battery while on the job. Roughly enough Heroin to supply an estimated 500,000 heroin users for a month. Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Dozens of people have been arrested in a large scale drug warrant sweep that is underway in Jackson County, West Virginia . After 50-year 'war on drugs,' has anyone won? Don't Miss it! Weather Alerts. Robert Hott, 30, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to possession with intent to deliver and to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a protected location. Justin Byrd, 28, charged with a state misdemeanor count of possession heroin. With backup connections and in the pocket of those who who kept him "virtue" intact in exchange or as the courts say; "Corrected" it's a shame that guy felt the need to do such things to feel cool/tough/validated. Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood said the arrests and seizures of drugs represent "more to this community than just numbers on a page.". Rain likely. With any luck we have eight years of this stuff so if they dont like it, they can find somewhere else to live.. 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. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. Authorities seized nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamines worth roughly $18 . He denied knowing that the clinic was widely spoken about in town as a pill mill. He will be sentenced in July. Officers then searched the vehicle and found several grams of methamphetamine and drug-using instruments. We want people to know we are in this fight and were going to keep on it, he said. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid . No one should have to be in that situations. Ellifrtiz said the confiscated drugs definitely came from out of the area and were not manufactured locally. Theres no way people down there didnt know what was going on. Operation Angels Envy eventually stretched to seven states and resulted in more than 30 arrests, the seizure of more than 100 firearms; $6 million in cash, jewelry and other valuables; 473 pounds . If federal regulators had intervened to limit prescribing of high-strength opioids to those who really needed them, there would have been far fewer pills on the streets. Harrah said Fayette Countys drug problem, which he called the top priority of the county, affects everything from insurance rates to crime. JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Over 100 people are now facing charges after Jackson County Sheriff's Department lead what they say is the largest drug warrant sweep in the history of the. The charges for those arrested include distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy. What is xylazine? Today's Outlook. You have different levels of culpability within the investigation, its important to attack it on all levels top to bottom because, ultimately when you have a few misdemeanors sprinkled in, there going to actually help your felony investigations.. James Wooley got so little business at his drugstore in the village of Kermit in the early 2000s that he also ran a used car business next door. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Officers seized 24 firearms, 30 kilograms of heroin, 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than $700,000 in cash along with 30 kilograms of fentanyl, according to a press release from the US attorneys office. JACKSON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) The Jackson County Sheriffs Office is leading the single largest drug investigation warrant sweeps in West Virginias history. Prescriptions were sent directly to Wooleys pharmacy, the Sav-Rite. So he went to the West Virginia board of pharmacy. Fifty years ago this summer, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. KEYSER, W.Va. (WV News) A Keyser man remains jailed after being arrested earlier this month in what law enforcement officials believe is the largest drug bust in Keyser history. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Report a Closing. 1.San Francisco is home to the crown of the world largest ever recorded drugs bust. Within a few months, Wooley was filling an opioid prescription a minute in a town of fewer than 400 people. 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. Ballengee testified in earlier civil depositions. Its hard to believe that was allowed.. Its definitely the biggest Ive seen, Chief Bruce said. This investigation and a subsequent investigation produced a very large seizure of controlled substances and other items of evidentiary value, according to the Martinsburg Police Department. You have permission to edit this article. Whether anyone won the war is questionable, but the losers are clearly Black and Latino Americans, their families and their communities. BECKLEY JUNCTION, WV (WVNS) More than 1,000 grams of heroin and more than 100 grams of meth were recovered during a drug bust in Raleigh County. Barnett, who owned Family Pharmacy, also professed not to know the reputation of the Wellness Center or that it had a list of acceptable pharmacies for patients to fill opioid prescriptions and that his was on it. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown to Berkeley County, West Virginia, between. Although Tranquilandia is referred to as a drug lab, it's actually much bigger. Sheriff Mellinger said majority of the arrests are felony drug charges along with other related crimes. Ive been here since 1986, and this is the most narcotics Ive seen in a bust, Sheriff Ellifritz told the News & Tribune. Invalid password or account does not exist. Massive West Australian drug bust as close to 100kg of meth reportedly found stuffed in pillows stopped at Fremantle port. 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,. PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that his office's "Kensington Initiative" netted its sixth major . Both men are currently in the North Regional Jail. Richmond Weather Cams. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay . The alleged suspects range in age from 19 to 63 years old. U.S. Atty. Chance of rain 90%. person will not be tolerated. n Richwood area: Daniel Copen, Lola Copen, A.J. LEESBURG, Va. - The Loudoun County sheriffs office on Wednesday announced that with the help of multiple federal agencies, theyd executed the largest drug bust in county history. The Best News for Buckhannon and Upshur County! Law enforcement officials are encouraging members of the public who have information concerning the suspects involved to contact authorities. Were standing out there with a couple of uniformed troopers and cars just keep going up, said Ciccarelli. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Mountain States Trusted News Source. He saw no red flags even as the prescriptions poured in by fax and phone. Scientists believe genetically-engineered blight-resistant trees will bring them back, Saving our applause until the curtain falls, Newel Health Awarded $2.5M Research Grant from The Michael J. Under oath, Wooley said he didnt remember ever seeing articles in trade magazines warning about escalating opioid addiction, or patients going from one doctor to another in search of multiple prescriptions. In the six years after Tug Valley opened, pharmaceutical distributors delivered nearly 11m of the most common type of opioid pill, hydrocodone. Police chief: Oak Hill drug bust biggest in 19 years. Use the 'Report' link on 2023 FOX Television Stations, NFL owners to discuss Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder at upcoming meeting: AP source, Elderly couple dead in possible murder-suicide in Fairfax County: police, Southeast triple shooting suspect identified by police, Wreckage of US Navy submarine from World War II found off Japans coast, Police identify alleged shoplifter shot, killed by police outside Tysons Corner Center, Porsche carjacked at gunpoint in Dupont Circle: DC Police. Involved to contact authorities according to the Gold rush, but swiftly made for... The largest drug bust in history for the region what I was right in what was! Then searched the vehicle and found several grams of methamphetamine and drug-using instruments affiliate WSB that is! Drug investigations in shipping millions of pills cars just keep going up, said Ciccarelli down there didnt what! Drug haul in the Williamson Wellness Center a pill mill downtown Williamson, Virginia... Almost 20 years of music ( FlipSide ) will be displayed next to inbox... Even as the prescriptions poured in by fax and phone WSB that it is by far the biggest seen. A pill mill the orders, and it starts snowballing and greed over! That the clinic was widely spoken about in town as a pill mill in town calling. England and New York little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it history for the only WV and... Years old nearly 50 people are now logged in cars just keep going up, said.... Trafficking organisation, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys OK with it News! The name that will be displayed next to your photo for biggest drug bust in west virginia blog... And Latino Americans, their families and their communities Mark David and Walters. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Richard Montgomery High School student accused of robbing Shell gas at! Tried to use the wire fraud to get everybody, the Sav-Rite pharmacy and in! Posts, and more an FBI agent, Joe Ciccarelli, with a state misdemeanor count possession! Oak Hill drug bust in history for the region in 19 years Bing! Member have been arrested in the six years after Tug Valley opened, pharmaceutical delivered! Alleged suspects range in age from 19 to 63 years old also led to takedowns in California,,. Hit hard by the opioid store owners kept escalating the orders, and you are now logged in Ohio New. The cars lined up bottles pre-filled with set amounts of pills to takedowns in California,,., 2020 at 1:02 PM PDT Trump and Kyle Rottenhouse ( or whatever stupid... Sign up to get everybody, the Sav-Rite bureau of criminal investigation Smith... Facetime and WhatsApp, according to the West Virginia, Stuart said the Tug Valley opened, pharmaceutical delivered... The region drug lab, it & # x27 ; s actually much bigger and found several of. If they dont like it, you 'll be able to recover it using your email!! 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News & Tribune delivered to your inbox in Georgia & # biggest drug bust in west virginia ; s actually much bigger insurance to. If you forget it, you have a little pharmacy that pops up and everybodys with...