Don't Threaten. The FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Rattini is accused of distributing narcotic painkillers illegally to more than 200 pharmacies across West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. During the search, 4.5 kilos of a fentanyl/heroin mix, $40,000 in cash and several handguns were found. Mostly sunny. 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. While this mass-arrest initiative is certainly a step in the right direction, we are well aware that countless additional individuals remained involved in the sale and distribution of narcotics in our respective counties.. Day one certainly exceeded expectations, said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. The street value of the seized material is estimated at $372,700. When asked why a mass arrest was necessary, Calhoun said the element of surprise was necessary. Thats really the design by nature, its the proverbial line in the sand moving forward. 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. 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. Senate swiftly passes 'Equal Protection for Religion Act'. 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. It looked like a carnival, said Smith. Be Nice. Sheriff Mellinger said majority of the arrests are felony drug charges along with other related crimes. Ballengee was arrested in July, days after an Ohio court released Drug Enforcement Administration documents showing that pharmaceutical distributors delivered millions of opioid pills to his tiny pharmacy. 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. By then, Smith was watching. Oh, we were aware. As of Thursday afternoon, 90 of the 100 people law enforcement officials were seeking had been rounded up, said Fayette County Prosecutor Larry Harrah. Subscribe today. The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia. The Page County Sheriff's Office reported narcotics investigators made the largest seizure of methamphetamine in department history. 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. a multi-state drug trafficking organization that mostly . Were standing out there with a couple of uniformed troopers and cars just keep going up, said Ciccarelli. 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. "And we introduced law . In 2009 alone, Ballengee ordered 3m hydrocodone pills. We'd love to hear eyewitness Fifty years ago this summer, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Ellifrtiz said the confiscated drugs definitely came from out of the area and were not manufactured locally. Hurley Drug was dispensing nearly as fast. Whether anyone won the war is questionable, but the losers are clearly Black and Latino Americans, their families and their communities. 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The name of the pharmacys owner, Samuel R Ballengee PharmD, was displayed on the window under a sales pitch: Its all in the bag.. "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. Its pretty much a cartel. Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. The list comes in, you print out the name, slap a tag on the bottle. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. There was an error processing your request. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. More than 120 law enforcement officers from 30 law enforcement agencies in Virginia, North Carolina and Texas executed the three-day targeted arrest operation dubbed Operation Cookout. $18 million, Antioch, Calif. One California raid in 2014 remains one of the biggest drug busts the U.S. has ever seen. Officers with the Elkins Police Department said Wednesday they were glad to have taken those [] The roundup, dubbed Operation Mountain Justice, was executed by the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, in coordination with the prosecuting attorneys of Fayette and Nicholas counties, as well as several local and federal law enforcement agencies. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history . 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. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. 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. Operation Angels Envy culminated in one of the largest cumulative takedowns in the area with 33 individuals charged, and seizure totals of 473 pounds of methamphetamine, 42 kilograms of fentanyl, nine kilograms of heroin, 129 kilograms of cocaine, 5,100 pounds of other drugs, over $5.3M in US Currency, 114 firearms (many of which were assault-style weapons), and over $700,000 in jewelry and vehicles. Something similar was going on at the Tug Valley Pharmacy and Hurleys in Williamson. Federal authorities seized 15,000 kilos of cocaine, worth as much as $1 billion, at a Philadelphia shipping port, officials said Tuesday. 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. Smith went to federal prosecutors with the evidence about the illegal lists of prescriptions and pressed them to file charges. 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Its things like that you can put in front of a jury and theyre going to go, that aint right. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. 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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. Low near 55F. of marijuana are now off the streets in what authorities say could be the largest drug bust in Richmond's history . And there are big lines from the first day, said Smith. This is a continual battle; these officers are right back at it tomorrow morning.. The illicit fentanyl thats coming in, the vast majority is from China and a lot of it is coming in through the mails, he said at a press conference announcing the arrests. Get the Jackson Star & Herald Delivered to your email everyday! 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. In 2007, someone anonymously tipped off the West Virginia medical board that Tiano was prescribing illegally. While authorities were still searching for the remaining suspects identified in the investigation as of Thursday afternoon, Calhoun and Harrah were confident they would be found. But he just got into that other business, and it starts snowballing and greed took over. 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. JCSO officials say "Operation Centennial Sweep" totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. Area listings from Your Bulletin Board with regular updates. Its definitely the biggest Ive seen, Chief Bruce said. Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. To the watching investigators, the stone building with a peaked red roof looked more like a rural cabin than a fount for the millions of opioid pills spilling across Appalachia. By Marsha Chwalik. 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. Its hard to believe that was allowed.. 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.. 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. On his release, Abad was deported to his home country, the Philippines, where he continues to practise. We won't share it with anyone else. Richard Montgomery High School student accused of robbing Shell gas station at knifepoint. Sheriff Mellinger said their target list had 113 names, with outstanding warrants, on it and their goal was to cross all the of them out with a two-day operation. These junkies would forge prescriptions, and back in the pre-computer days I can remember standing in pharmacies going through prescriptions going, thats a junkie, thats a junkie, these are false scripts, said Ciccarelli, who has since died, in 2017. According to the sheriffs office, investigators seized 50 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of heroin, six pounds of marijuana, 150 grams of crack cocaine, 100 fentanyl pills, seven firearms including one assault rifle, and $1.4 million in cash in Loudoun County. 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.. Authorities estimate the value of the drugs at $8.5 million. 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. OK, lets see. Temperatures in Virginia. Harrah said Fayette Countys drug problem, which he called the top priority of the county, affects everything from insurance rates to crime. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Justin Byrd, 28, charged with a state misdemeanor count of possession heroin. The investigation is ongoing at this time. Daily updates from Blue Gold News for WVU sports. On his way out the door, having made more than $250,000 from opioid prescribing in just two years, the doctor recruited his successor, Dr Augusto Abad, who lived 90 minutes away in the state capital, Charleston, and rarely saw patients. Ballengee testified in earlier civil depositions. You have permission to edit this article. "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. Wendys chili is coming to store shelves. People came from hundreds of miles around to buy the powerful drugs from pharmacies linked to pill mills where compliant doctors prescribed indiscriminately. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. In the north of Mingo county, another pharmacist looked on enviously. Millions more were shipped to another pharmacy, Hurleys Drug Store, four blocks away. 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 . One undercover agent noted that the cash drawer at the Sav-Rite was so full the assistant couldnt close it. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. 267lbs. Theres no way people down there didnt know what was going on. Doctors wrote the prescriptions. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia. Out of the 25 people arrested for this drug trafficking operation, seven are from Morgantown alone with a total over 10 from West Virginia and many in our region. The pharmacy bought more of the opioid than any drugstore in West Virginia or neighbouring states that year and ranked 22nd in the nation among retail pharmacies for hydrocodone purchases. A mix of clouds and sun. According to a news release from the drug task force that was sent out Thursday morning, investigators spent the majority of this summer identifying criminal suspects allegedly involved in the sale and distribution of numerous controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine and prescription pills, in central West Virginia. Published: Jan. 13, 2021 at 9:55 AM PST. ELKINS, W.Va. - Elkins officials continue to investigate after arresting three people in the city's biggest meth bust to date. 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. Officers say they confiscated 20 grams of fentanyl. Eventually, the FBI and state police moved in on the Sav-Rite in Kermit in 2009, arresting Wooley. 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. & $600,000 seized in drug bust. Published June 22, 2021 4:25 a.m. PDT Share TORONTO - Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana was seized in what. 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The warrant was obtained through Circuit Court Judge J.W. Washington County Prosecutor Nicole . U.S. Atty. Murphy told CNN affiliate WSB that it is by far the biggest heroin seizure in Georgia's . Critics have said it could be used to challenge local nondiscrimination ordinances or government-mandated vaccine requirements. These arrests are the culmination of that effort. Closings & Delays. There you go, said Smith. Twenty minutes drive to the north, the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in the village of Kermit, population 280 and falling, was outstripping them both. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Each day, hundreds of people lined up outside an old animal feed store where a group of doctors were set up by a former pimp, just out of federal prison for running a gay prostitution ring in Washington DC, to churn out opioid prescriptions faster than West Virginias major hospitals. Police chief: Oak Hill drug bust biggest in 19 years. Use the 'Report' link on Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Mountain States Trusted News Source. Mary Ann Withrow, a federal agent, said investigators recorded that the Sav-Rite and the clinic were excessively busy for such a small town. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! 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. Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County! The roughly half-mile-long tunnel was discovered by Border Patrol agents, who seized. highways in biggest drug bust in Broome's history Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Bola Tinubu, the declared winner of Nigerias presidential election, appeals for unity, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, A 5,000-year-old restaurant highlights Iraqs archaeological renaissance, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. Richmond Weather Cams. The two decades of the opioid epidemic is a story of missed opportunities, large and small. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan, and Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, remain at large. 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. Winds light and variable.. Clear skies. "We seized over six pounds of crystal. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Miguel Angel Santiago Caraballo, 30, of Chambersburg, Pa. MARTINSBURG, W.Va.Police Chief George Swartwood is proud of the men and women of his force every day, but last month, they outdid themselves. It shows that were trying to address the problem, he said, noting that authorities wont simply sit back on their hands once their work is gone from the headlines. Daily News, Sports and Events from The ET. Massive West Australian drug bust as close to 100kg of meth reportedly found stuffed in pillows stopped at Fremantle port. Find out what's happening in Garrett County with this weekly email alert! It was a profound stop and seizure of extremely hard drugs that have plagued this area and others, according to Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood. , charged with a link to change your password has been sent to the Mountain States Trusted News.! Blocks away, $ 40,000 in cash and several handguns were found is a story of missed,! Back at it tomorrow morning their communities 8.5 million name, slap a on... Other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the other drug store owners escalating! That it is by far the biggest heroin seizure in Georgia & # x27 ; s Office reported investigators... Got into that other business, and you are now logged in escalating the orders, and it starts and. 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