Pair charged in felony drug bust

A heroin sting that happened in broad daylight Thursday just in front of the Market Street Bridge in Kingston has left two people facing a hefty list of felony drug charges.

Kingston police charged 29-year-old Veronica Lee Harrison, 448 Beade St., Plymouth, and 19-year-old Michael R. Scott, 59 Winans Ave., Newark, N.J., in connection with the bust. Both of them, police say, were part of a drug deal gone awry when police used a confidential informant to set up the sting just before 3 p.m. Thursday.

Police arranged to have the informant buy a bundle of heroin from Scott for $115, according to a criminal complaint. The informant met Scott and Harrison, who was driving a gold Chevrolet Blazer, on Center Street in Kingston, and bought the heroin from Scott, who was sitting in the back seat, police said.

The informant took 10 packets of heroin, stamped with the "Body Tap" brand, directly to police, authorities said.

Police then pulled over the sport utility vehicle just in front of the Market Street Bridge and found Scott with the $115 and $50 in additional cash, police said. Harrison had a phone charger cord wrapped around her left arm, according to the complaint. Police said she was preparing to shoot up when the vehicle was stopped.

Scott had gotten a call earlier in the day asking him to sell heroin to Harrison, police said. Scott agreed, and Harrison picked him up in Wilkes-Barre, police said. Scott, Harrison and two other passengers eventually passed some heroin around in the car, police said, with one passenger giving Scott $50.

The four then made their way to Kingston, where the informant met them, police said. The sting commenced, with authorities soon after stopping the SUV.

"This is just another dealer taken off the streets," Kingston police Detective Richard Kotchik said. "We've just been pounding away at getting these guys."

The investigation also led police to a Brown Street home in Wilkes-Barre, where Kotchik said a .22 revolver and more heroin was found. Charges in relation to that portion of the investigation are forthcoming, he said.

The two passengers have not been charged.

A call placed to Scott's phone was not returned.

astaub@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2052

Veronica Lee Harrison, 448 Beade St., Plymouth, and Michael R. Scott, 59 Winans Ave., Newark, N.J., are charged with the following:

One felony count of delivery of a controlled substance.
Two felony counts of criminal conspiracy: delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
One felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
One misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.
One misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Scott faces an additional charges of one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.


http://citizensvoice.com/news/pair-charged-in-felony-drug-bust-1.657204

PITTSFIELD -- Their wake-up calls were loud knocks at the door, deep shouting and steel battering rams.

Law enforcement officials carried out a series of pre-dawn raids in Pittsfield, Richmond and Adams on Wednesday that led to multiple arrests and the seizure of large quantities of marijuana, cocaine, painkillers and cash.

Most of the raids by the Berkshire County Drug Task Force began at 5:40 a.m., awakening suspects with a jarring jolt.

After searching homes and an alleged Pittsfield "stash house," officers recovered about $50,000 in reputed drug money as well as 26 pounds of marijuana, more than 150 grams of cocaine, 100-plus OxyContin pills, 15 methadone tablets, and a loaded handgun. Police said they also recovered paraphernalia commonly used in the illegal drug trade, including numerous digital scales and packaging materials.

"They were all caught by surprise," Pittsfield Police Detective Sgt. Marc E. Strout said of the eight suspects, all of whom were taken to Central Berkshire District Court for arraignments late Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Rita S. Koenigs kept the courthouse open until 5:30 p.m. -- an hour longer than normal -- to handle the high volume of arrests in the county's first major drug bust of 2010.

"These guys have been living the high life off the backs of drug addicts in Berkshire County for a long time," said Strout, the commander of Pittsfield's drug unit and a task force member, referring

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to the defendants.
Three of the raids involved "no-knock" search warrants -- situations in which battering rams are used to take down doors without advance warning -- while the others involved officers loudly announcing their presence.

Roughly a dozen search warrants were executed on Wednesday, said District Attorney David F. Capeless, noting that "more warrants and arrests are expected." Capeless characterized the raids as the "first phase of a large-scale, ongoing investigation."

Police said a garage at 105 Dalton Ave. in Pittsfield doubled as a stash house, or a place where drugs are stored, while more quantities were found in suspects' homes.

Police identified Pittsfield resident Richard B. Carnevale Jr., 31, of Brown Street, and Richmond resident Michael Cargill, 34, of Swamp Road, as the ringleaders of the distribution operation, which allegedly provided cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills to other county dealers.

Information gained through surveillance and provided by confidential police informants led police to the suspects, according to a copy of a "probable cause" report filed in District Court.

The report states that Carnevale and Cargill "collaborated on several re-supply transactions" with out-of-state drug dealers. "Intelligence gleaned from a variety of sources enabled surveillance officers to observe, photograph and document numerous meetings between [Carnevale and Cargill] as they engaged in these drug transactions," according to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Glenn Lagerwall, a task force member and author of the report.

Lagerwall claims in the report that Pittsfield resident Shane Whalen, 30, of Dalton Avenue, "worked for the group distributing cocaine to other lower-level dealers." Whalen was "observed and photographed" at the stash house with Carnevale, according to Lagerwall.

Meanwhile, Whalen and Carnevale used the services of Michael King, 52, and Tracey Gagne, 48, both of Elm Street in Adams, as "mules" who traveled to New York City to purchase large quantities of cocaine with money supplied by Whalen, the report states. Lagerwall said King and Gagne would then travel back to the Berkshires with the drugs, which were stored in the Dalton Avenue stash house.

These "re-supply trips" were observed, photographed and documented by the task force with assistance from federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents based in New York, police said.

Pittsfield resident Frank LeClair, 49, was identified by police as "a multi-pound" marijuana dealer who worked closely with Carnevale and Cargill. LeClair stored the drugs at his Goodman Lane residence, police said.

Other alleged drug-ring associates include Pittsfield resident David B. LaPlante, 31, of Orchard Street, and Richmond resident Katie Lynne Powers, 24, who lives with Cargill on Swamp Road.

Cargill, Carnevale, King, Gagne, Whalen and Powers were each charged with drug conspiracy and drug trafficking, as well as multiple other offenses. LaPlante and LeClair were each charged with drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute.

LaPlante also was charged with various felony firearm offenses for allegedly possessing a loaded .380-caliber handgun at the time of his arrest.

The defendants, who are presumed innocent until proven guilty, denied all charges during Wednesday's arraignments. LeClair and Powers are due back in court on March 29, while the others are scheduled to appear on Monday.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_14516636

Wilmington Police discover firearms during drug bust

WPD Vice detectives were in the area of 8th and Queen Streets on Wednesday and Thursday in response to complaints of drug dealing and use in the area.

Detectives executed a search warrant at 803 Queen Street and recovered marijuana, ecstasy, prescription medications and several firearms. The firearms included a stolen .45 caliber pistol, a .44 magnum revolver, a .50 caliber Desert Eagle and an AR-15 style assault rifle.

The types of firearms seized illustrate an alarming trend in the types of weapons drug dealers are choosing to arm themselves with. The rounds that these weapons fire are capable of inflicting massive and devastating injuries. The weapons also use high-capacity magazines capable of holding between 15 and 30 rounds of ammunition.

Here are the arrests that resulted from the operation. Photos of these suspects are being retrieved for later distribution:

Ronnie Levern Barnhill, 12/10/1959, Possess Stolen Firearm/Possess Firearm by Felon $50,000 bond.

Jariel Matthew Ragin, 09/19/1990, Possession w/ Intent to Sell/Deliver Marijuana, Felony Possession of MDMA (ecstasy), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - $20,000 bond.

Desmon Terrell Barnhill, 10/14/1977, Possess Stolen Firearm - $60,000 bond.

Rosalyn Ragin, 03/09/1956, Possess Stolen Firearm - no bond information available.

All offenders reside at 803 Queen Street. Leland Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted in locating Desmon Terrell Barnhill who was not at home during the raid.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/21408

2 RI officers held without bail after drug bust

2 RI officers held without bail after drug bust

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Two Rhode Island police officers charged in connection with a cocaine sting have been ordered held without bail.

The officers were arrested Thursday. They're accused of helping in a dealing operation.

Another officer has already been released and will be back in court later this month.

The arrests followed a four-month investigation into the drug ring.

"Their behavior is disgraceful. If they're convicted of this, they deserved to be punished to the full extent of the law," said Providence Mayor David Cicilline.

All three officers have been suspended without pay.

One of the officers is a narcotics detective. Another is a school resource officer at a Providence high school.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO137044/

Austin man charged in weapons, drug bust

A 52-year-old West Side man faces 10 counts relating to weapons and drugs seized in a warrant execution.

Willie Brown was charged after police searched his home at North Austin and West Madison.

Brown faces five counts of weapons possession by a felon, a count of ammunition possession, one count of drug paraphernalia possession, one count of cannabis possession, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7300120

Routine call leads to major drug arrests

A routine call to police about two suspicious looking men in a car outside an apartment complex on Burkhall Street turned into a major drug raid that yielded 6,700 Oxycodone pills with a street value of over $200,000 on Feb. 10.

“This is just an example of how a uniformed patrol can uncover significant drug activity,” said Police Chief Richard Grimes. “It is not always a drug unit that is taxed with drug enforcement. It is every aspect of law enforcement.”

The bust occurred when Lt. Jack Burke and Officer Michael Symes responded to call from a concerned resident shortly before 11:50 a.m.

“Upon their arrival, both Officer Symes and Lt. Burke approached the vehicle on foot to investigate,” said Lt. Rick Fuller. “When the officers reached the vehicle and identified themselves, both males in the vehicle panicked.”

He said one of the men reached for an object that looked like a handgun in the car’s center console.

“One of the males reached for the item and the officers grabbed him before he could get to the weapon,” Fuller said. “The weapon turned out to be a hatchet that had a magnetic knife release on the handle that appeared to be the butt of a gun. At that point, both males were removed from the vehicle and secured by the officers.”

Police charged John Dalton, 29, of 160 Burkhall St., Weymouth and Joshua Steacy from Bellwood Road, Framingham with trafficking in Oxycodone, conspiracy to violate the state’s drug laws, committing a drug violation near a school and carrying a dangerous weapon.

The drug trafficking charge carries a minimum mandatory jail term of 15 years.

Police reported finding $20,000 in cash in a bag inside the car and Oxycodone in another bag.

“A subsequent search of the vehicle by narcotics detectives that had been called to the scene revealed a sophisticated electronic hide in the vehicle that the suspects were sitting in,” Fuller said. “The electronic hide contained several thousand more Oxycodone pills. Narcotics detectives also conducted a search of John Dalton’s residence and located a money counter along with another large quantity of money.”

Grimes said the alertness Symes and Burke displayed while investigating the suspects put a significant dent in the sale of unlawful narcotics on the South Shore.

“To uncover this is a great asset for drug enforcement efforts in this community,” he said.

Police additionally seized two cell phones from the suspects.

Grimes said two of the phones rang nonstop after officers took possession of them.

Steacy and Dalton pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arrangement in Quincy District Court on Feb. 11.

Bail was initially set for the suspects at $75,000, but Judge Kenneth Fishman later reduced it to $10,000 after a bail hearing in Norfolk County Superior Court.

The drug bust was widely applauded by Mayor Susan Kay and East Weymouth Neighborhood Association members during a meeting on Feb. 25.

“They were clapping greatly,” said Kay who met with the neighborhood group. “This is such a positive move in our war on drugs. The significance of this arrest is incredible because Officer Michael Symes and Lt. Jack Burke conducted such a thorough investigation. They went beyond a simple call and it resulted in the arrests.”

Kay said the officers’ work is a credit to themselves, the police drug unit and Fuller.

“They are committed to ridding this town of illegal drugs,” she said. “The arrests also show how committed Chief Grimes is. He realizes how serious the drug problem is. I am proud of the entire police department.”

Kay said the alertness of Symes and Burke noticing the hatchet prevented themselves from being killed.

“They had a great eye for detail,” she said. “ The community should be happy about what happened. This is not just a great find for Weymouth. It was a find for the entire South Shore. Hopefully it will give incentive to all our police in the nearby communities to communicate with each other so that we can rid the South Shore of these drugs. Hopefully the courts will follow through. It is important to note that getting the money from the suspects was good because that is where it hurts them. We take the problem of drug abuse seriously and we won’t quit.”


http://www.wickedlocal.com/weymouth/features/x1570102866/Routine-call-leads-to-major-drug-arrests

Austin Drug Bust Yields $43,300 in Drug Money

AUSTIN, MN--What could have been a routine traffic stop, turned into possibly the biggest seizure of drug related money, of all time, for the Austin Police Department.

Everything went down late Tuesday night when the car of Gabriela Cordova-Garcia and Jose Guadalupe Garcia-Diaz was stopped, and police saw an open bottle, allowing them to search the vehicle. Cops found more than $23,000 in the car, and methamphetamine in Cordova's purse.

This allowed police to get 3 search warrants for the Center Court Apartments on 25th St. SW. This search turned up more meth and another $19,000. Two more people were arrested.

In the entire year of 2008, only about $33,000 was found from drug raids. This single bust brought in more than $43,000.

Detective Brian Krueger says, "It's a significant arrest, it's not everyday that the patrol comes across that kind of cash, it just shows initiative and very good police work, for what could have been just an open bottle ticket."

Krueger says the department is very spoiled to be able to work so cooperatively and well, with both the Mower County Sheriff's Department and the Drug Task Force, to make these kinds of busts happen.

The four arrested are charged in Mower County District Court with various felonies, including multiple charges of 1st degree drug crimes, aggravated forgery, and perjury. They will all appear in court again on March 11th.

http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Austin-Drug-Bust-Yields-43-300-in-Drug-Money/4SogcHyrTkqS1qnrKqTZnQ.cspx