As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Images courtesy of Hagerstown police Department. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He couldnt hold down a job for more than a month or two, he says, and bounced around from one employer to the next: cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, waiting tables, making pizza. Grant was being held without bond Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center. Because of that, its residents have more money and higher expectations, and a strong restaurant base and downtown arts and culture district has grown there, sustained by its community. The school started with 85 students but this year surpassed 300, even though that meant holding classes in hallways and stairwells. Maryland bust nets $1M in drugs, 9 arrests, 34 guns Authorities said they seized more than $1 million in drugs, including 18 kilograms of cocaine, 2.7 kilograms of heroin and . Employment or private drug testing options: 5, 10, 12 panel urine drug tests, DOT drug testing and DOT Random Pool, breath alcohol, EtG 3 day alcohol tests, 90 day hair follicle drug tests. Joshua Reed, one count of distribution of heroin. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The alleged traffickers distributed drugs in Caroline and Dorchester counties, as well as parts of Delaware, according to police, who said investigators from multiple agencies developed enough. President Donald Trump spoke to a packed hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport during his campaign in 2016 and won the county vote by a 2-1 margin. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( And now, Hagerstowns unique coordinates, once its greatest asset, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis. The man seemed nervous. February 21, 2023. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the area this year than the last 5 years combined. Baltimore, Maryland Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Multiple law enforcement agencies ultimately provided assistance with the investigation. A locked padlock More than 80 percent of students at three Hagerstown public schools receive free or reduced-priced lunches. A Hagerstown appliance store was allegedly used as a hub for the illegal activities. July 28, 2021 / 2:11 PM A Hagerstown pawn shop. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. At Meritus Medical Center outside of downtown Hagerstown, nearly three children a week are born addicted to opioids. Its like watching a slow train crash coming that you dont know how to stop.. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The National Road, Route 40, began carrying wagon trains through Hagerstown to the Ohio River Valley in 1818. But he moved his family to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, leaving Hagerstown behind. "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. While the most pressing question confronting Hagerstownand other resource-deprived towns in Maryland such as Frostburg, Cumberland, Cambridge, Snow Hill, Elkton, and Edgewoodmay be how to get immediate help to those struggling with addiction, the broader question is more vexing: How does an isolated, blue-collar town recover from the worst drug epidemic in U.S. historyon top of45 years of deindustrialization? From March 20 to April 24, 2019, law enforcement surveilled activity at the suspected unit on a daily basis and observed Smith opening the storage unit to weigh and process suspected narcotics for distribution. One of the biggest mistakes city officials made was failing to sufficiantly upgrade Municipal Stadium, the nearly 90-year-old home of the minor league Hagerstown Suns, or build a new ballpark downtown. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Additionally, in less than one month, Smith and Tyler contacted each other 714 times by cell phone. he one place in Maryland that has had a long struggle with heroin use is Baltimore, of course. (Currently affiliated with the Nationals, the Suns draw a South Atlantic league-low 896 fans per game; Frederick led the Carolina League in attendance from 2012-2016, attracting nearly 5,000 fans a game.). This pooling of investigative resources benefits each investigative unit with increased manpower, less duplication of effort, and by coordinating the targeting of drug offenders. Now, how many families do you know that have been affected by addiction? Ten years ago, the Hagerstown native started having seizures once or twice a week that left his muscles tense, his bones aching, and his head feeling like it might explode. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown toBerkeley County, West Virginia, between August2020and June of this year, according to a news release from Bernard's office. I mean you can kind of look at it as a small part of the community that we you know are dealing with but we know its not just at the end of security road, washignton gardens that end of town, its all over the town, said Sgt. Prosecutors alleged they conspired to sell 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine and . A list of the indicted individuals is available on the U.S. Department of Justice website. George Alfred Butler, 56, of Federalsburg, Maryland. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Stephen McCormick, two counts of distribution of cocaine. y any definition, the epidemic in this part of Maryland, a state with one of the top five death rates from opioids in the country, is among the worst anywhere. Thats a lot of drugs, Kerns said Wednesday in a phone interview. Bernard said agents serveda search warrant at the store in June and seized approximately $500,000 worth of drugs, including a kilogram of heroin and nine kilograms of cocaine. High 56F. The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. Having beautiful open spaces is important, and its important to have a connection to your community, says city engineer Rodney Tissue, who moved to Hagerstown in 1986 and raised his two daughters here. When his Vicodin prescription ended, he started buying it on the street, until 5-milligram Vicodins werent enough. A Hagerstown. The rest of the state did not share that history, and Hagerstown and towns like it are dealing with something entirely new. Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. Several weapons were seized, including two stolen handguns, as well as rifles and shotguns, Kerns said. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit. / CBS Baltimore. Timothy Michael Ford, age 23 of Hagerstown, MD (1) Possession of heroin (2) Beckette was charged with three counts each of intent to distribute narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. A months-long investigation initiated by citizen complaints resulted in the arrests of two suspected drug dealers Wednesday. Hagerstown, Md. You can imagine as a police officer and a father how I felt, Simmers says. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. "If they just had a pipefine . The two have been charged in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy in the Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. (DC News Now) The Hagerstown Police Department said officers executed a search and seizure warrant at 115 S. Mulberry St. on Oct. 7, finding fentanyl, crack cocaine, $5,000 cash, and firearms. Prosecutors allege that Luna Mota, the owner of Top 3 Sources, was using the West Washington Street store to keep and sell drugs. According to his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, law enforcement received an anonymous tip from a Hagerstown, Maryland storage facility customer reporting that an individual driving a large SUV and a storage unit conducted a suspected drug deal at the facility. E, all face drug charges, according to Kerns and online court records. Hes married with children and living his dream of being a full-time musician, touring his original folk-country songs across the U.S. Indirectly, they could have a hand at reversing the public health crises in the long run, civic leaders say. Travon Bristol, two counts possession with intent to distribute spice aka K-2 and one count of maintaining a common Nuisance. U.S. Attorney's Office December 21, 2012. This epidemic, largely caused by the pharmaceutical industrys complete lack of accountability or care about anyone or anything other than their pockets, has wreaked havoc on my city, Keller said. Those kind of manufacturing jobs generally pulled up stakes for cheaper labor in the South or overseas, a trend that has continued. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. You have permission to edit this article. (Photos from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office) Agents say anyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing drugtip@washco-md.net, orvisiting their website at wcntf.net. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of heroin. The office is currently staffed by personnel to include officers from the Hagerstown City Police Department, Deputies from the Washington County Sheriffs Department, an Intel Analyst, a Gang Analyst, two prosecutors from the State Attorneys Office, and two support staff. Kevin Simmers relished locking up drug users, no matter how little crack they had on them. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard;U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and U.S. attorney's offices in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Still, they are something of a Hail Mary pass for municipalities. HAGERSTOWN, Md. But the current economic picture in Hagerstown stands in stark contrast to the days when it earned its Hub City nicknamewhen five major passenger and freight lines merged here in a way that resembled the spokes of a wheel. (DC News Now) The Hagerstown Police Department said officers executed a search and seizure warrant at 115 S. Mulberry St. on Oct. 7, finding fentanyl, crack cocaine, $5,000 cash, and firearms. Baltimore, Md. Some folksa waitress with an apron tied around her waist, a guyin construction gearare clearly stopping by on their way to a job. Grant was charged with five counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana and two counts of distributing narcotics, according to online court records. a view from the abandoned hospital parking garage across from the antietam street clinic. ; Cody William Grant, 26, of 826 Dewey Ave., Apt. The task force was assisted by the Washington County Special Response Team and the Hagerstown regional office of the Drug Enforcement Agency, according to an email from Kerns. Citing a release from the U . Christina Boward, two counts of distribution of heroin. The search warrants were a result of a multi- state . I cannot count the number of friends who have died after I almost did, says Katie Wetzel, 27, a recovering addict in Hagerstown who is now married with three kids. Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Md. He is being held at the Washington County Detention Center on a $80,000 bond. She discusses plans for the rollout of a new awareness program, Washington Goes Purple, a symbolic color adopted by opioid prevention advocates, geared toward steering youth away from substance abuse. George Wallace campaigned here in 1968 and 1972. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. On Tuesday afternoon, the following people were brought into custody: Thor Swenson, two counts of distribution of heroin. He was taken into custody Tuesday at his Security Road home, Kerns said. I was gonna overdose and kill myself.. Opioid crisis:Hagerstown, Washington County closer to seeing some opioid settlements, Drug deaths:Fatal drug overdoses hit record levels during COVID. The first indictment names 25 defendants accused in one or more of the drug conspiracies. The first three municipality lawsuits against drugmakersall Ohio casesare scheduled to be heard in U.S. District Court in Cleveland early next year. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. 3, in Hagerstowns North End; and Daniel Matthew Anderson, 28, of 1008 Security Road, Apt. In the early 1980s, King ran a large drug operation in East Baltimore and was a well-known figure, driving a DeLorean sports car and smoking with a bejeweled Zippo. Williams is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. An official website of the United States government. More than 1,000 pounds of prescription medicine is collected in the first two hours of the event, which is held in an empty parking lot outside the county health offices. More than 20 Hagerstown residents were indicted for drug trafficking after the Washington County Narcotics Task Force wrapped up a two month long drug investigation into the distribution of heroin, crack cocaine and spice in the area. Its these fast-rolling interstates that carry the deadly opioids, including heroin and fetanyl, flooding Marylands western counties. MARTINSBURG Allegedly using Top 3 Resources, an appliance store in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a front for having and selling controlled substances, 15 Eastern Panhandle residents were among those charged in an expansive drug-trafficking operation. Later, outside a Rotary Club meeting, Keller talks more optimistically about the citys current efforts to tackle the crisis. Theres an unmistakable world-wearinesswritten into their faces. 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740. During the early morning hours of December 20 th, the Allegany County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of numerous allied agencies executed search and seizure warrants at three separate locations in the Town of Westernport. Washington Daily Voice serves the towns of: Boonsboro, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Hagerstown, Halfway, Maugansville, Paramount-Long Meadow, Robinwood, Smithsburg. The steel tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad started carrying locomotives from Baltimore in the same direction, straight through the heart of Hagerstown, two years after the end of the Civil War. We had 13 infant deaths over the past two years, eight of whom were born substance exposed and later died at home because of neglect or some other cause, Piercy says. Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood said the arrests and seizures of drugs represent "more to this community than just numbers on a page.". The rear of North and Locust Food Mart. Hagerstown, MD 2 days ago. For the past 44 years, since Valley Mall was built on the outskirts of town, shuttering the department stores, retail shops, restaurants, theaters, and five and dimes, there have been hopes of reviving Hagerstowns once-thriving city center. If you are in immediate danger dial 911. College Park mayor, DC COVID Centers to close at the end of March, Mother calls for answers after son killed by police, MTPD: Two teenagers arrested, one had gun, Burglar used Germantown mans toothbrush, razor,, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Its a huge step forward. on the U.S. Department of Justice website. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. Frederick, which seems worlds away rather than a mere 20 minutes, has benefitted from its MARC train station, which has grown the town into a bedroom community of D.C. Its also close enough to Baltimore that people make the I-70 commute. Scrubbing Baltimores Marble Steps Was My Very First Job, How Actress Rachel Hilsons Baltimore Roots Influence Her Work Today, The Mount Vernon Virtuosi is Much More Than a Chamber Orchestra, Deer Park, MD Was Once an Elite VacationlandThanks in Part to its Famous Water, Artist James Evans Uses Photographs and Words to Combat Prejudice in Nature, Baltimore School for the Arts Debuts a Student-Run Newspaper. Police said a more than three-year investigation. Police seized more than 80 pounds of meth, 200 bags of fentanyl, more than two dozen guns and $135,000 in cash in a massive drug bust in Montgomery County. She also cites the new safe needle program implemented by the county health departmentalbeit over the objection of a couple of state delegatesto combat Hepatitis C and HIV infections. In recent decades, theyve swapped roles. Tyler and Eddie Ware pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 28, 2020, and January 11, 2021; respectively. Kristie Lockhard, a 38-year-old recovering addict volunteering at the event, says when she first started using heroin in 1999, she would drive to Baltimore two or three times a day to buy it. Michelle Lynn Spain, 48, of Preston, Maryland, James Eugene Simms, 36, of Great Mills, Maryland. Those charged are: Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as "Papi," 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic West Virginia State Police have denied a request to release dash camera footage or body camera footage of an incident on Feb. 12 on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, W.Va., in which a Hagerstown man died after a struggle with a trooper. Drugs, money, weapons confiscated during an operation last week in Hagerstown. Grant briefly escaped, fleeing while handcuffed, and was captured a short distance away, Kerns said. October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. Police seized drugs, cash and weapons from the residence, Kerns said. The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids,. Though extreme, the transition seemed gradual. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base "crack," with a street value of approximately $471,000. Grant also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of needles related to drugs; possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and escape in the second degree, according to Kerns and online court records. Lock This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Some NTF agents are even deputized by the DEA as Federal Task Force Officers (TFO's). Derosiers isBeing held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. Officials in Frederick and Washington Counties seized over $90,000 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine inside of a Hagerstown home. Others sell or trade their methadone or bupe (opioid medications used to suppress withdrawal symptoms) to buy the real thing, faking drug tests to game the system. The bust began in the late afternoon Monday as Grant was contacted to do a deal involving an informant, and was taken into custody inside the Sheetz on Potomac Avenue, Kerns said. William Miller, one count of distribution of heroin. Its a problem, says former Hagerstown police chief Victor Brito, who resigned in May to lead the Rockville force. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. Photography by Benjamin C. Tankersley | July 2018. the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. Law enforcement determined that the reported vehicle was registered to Smith and that the unit had been rented to Smith under a fraudulent New York State drivers license that bore Smiths photograph and the alias Michael Silver. Smith accessed the storage unit on 39 separate occasions and obtained at least 250 grams of narcotics during his visits. When a methadone clinic was first proposed at this site, two blocks from Hagerstowns main street, in the spring of 2001, it was met with vehement opposition. Im not in economic development, but you also cant help but wonder, how do you build a workforce and attract new businesseswhich we desperately needwhen this is happening everywhere in your community?. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. A huge component of this initiative includes a $40-million effort, started in 2017, which will expand three key institutionsthe University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, the Maryland Theatre, and Barbara Ingram School for the Artswith a slated completion date of spring of 2020. Patrica Diaz,four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. "This is the largest drug bust in my time as a prosecutor and as the elected state's attorney," Caroline County State's Attorney Joe Riley said. Earlier this spring, Keller, the city councilwoman who lost her best friend to an overdose, announced that the city would be joining several hundred municipalities, counties, and states in pursuing legal action against the nations largest drugmakers, alleging that they played a key role in launching the opioid epidemic. For the lions share, howevera nearly all-white mix of solitary adults, young and middle-aged couples, teenagers, and parents dragging along childrenit looks like life has been a struggle for a while. He moved on to 10-milligram Percocet, then 30-milligram. That investigation led to the Narcotics Task Force obtaining 9 search warrants. NTF has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Hagerstown Resident Office and works closely with Hagerstown Police Department's Street Crime Unit.
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