Articles Posted in Drug Charges

Recently, a Huntington Beach area homeless man was arrested after it was suspected he was selling heroin from the Simi Valley Library, according to a news article at the LA Times. Bradley Bates was arrested on suspicion of narcotics for sale after he allegedly posed as a library patron, selling heroin to his customers both in the parking lot, and inside the library.

In a news release, Simi Valley Police said that a narcotics related felony warrant had been issued for Bates’ arrest previously. Upon being taken into custody by authorities, it was discovered that Bates had more than $1,500 on his person in addition to 6 grams of heroin. Police allegedly witnessed Bates dealing heroin to customers inside the library while he was posing as a patron.

Detectives were investigating complaints of drug sales occurring inside the library when they caught Bates in the act.

On Monday, October 13, two Georgetown, DE residents were arrested and charged with various drug offenses after authorities discovered the man and woman were selling illicit drugs from a motel room.

According to a news article at WMDT 47, Georgetown and Delaware State Police conducted a joint investigation in which it was found that 29-year-old Yolanda Oney and 21-year-old Oquindell Timmons Jr. were selling narcotic drugs from the Classic Inn Motel. Upon searching room 251, police allegedly discovered there were two juveniles present along with drug paraphernalia and 30 baggies that were said to contain marijuana and heroin following field testing.

Authorities also searched a vehicle that belonged to one of the suspects and found a .38 caliber revolver along with bullets. Timmons admitted to police that the handgun and heroin were his, and that the marijuana and drug paraphernalia belonged to Oney.

Yesterday, it was announced at The New York Times that administrators at Branson School, a prestigious prep school in California, were attempting damage control after the headmaster and a 21-year-old woman who was not his wife had been arrested on felony drug charges at a local hotel. Thomas Woodrow Price, the 54-year-old headmaster, was arrested on Friday in Rancho Cordova after police found methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in a hotel room where Price and the young woman, who was passed out on a bed, were found.

According to the news article, police found an amount of drugs large enough to charge Price and the 21-year-old woman, Brittney Hall, with possession of methamphetamine for sale. Branson School has one of the highest annual tuitions of any prestigious high schools in the nation, according to the article, at $40,000. Price’s annual salary was said to be approximately $500,000 per year. Price, who was known as “Woody” by friends and co-workers, posted bail on Saturday.

Price has been the school’s headmaster for eight years, appointed to the position in 2006.

Russell Smith, a 37-year-old man that according to court records is homeless, was arrested and charged in a case involving an Ypsilanti Township man who died after Smith provided him with heroin, according to news articles at Mlive.com. The incident happened last year, and Smith was charged on July 14, although he appeared in circuit court for the first time on Tuesday, September 23. His hearing was adjourned for three weeks.

Smith’s co-defendant in the case, 21-year-old Devin Wilson, had her case postponed while police worked for months to arrest Smith. Wilson was sentenced on July 15 to one to 15 years in prison for giving Terry Mike Norris, her 37-year-old boyfriend, a fatal dose of heroin. She pleaded guilty, and in exchange for her plea agreed to testify against Smith, who allegedly provided her with the heroin.

Smith is charged with delivery or manufacture of heroin, delivery of a controlled substance causing death, and lying to a peace officer. Police did not reveal how they tracked Smith down. He remains incarcerated in the Washtenaw County Jail on a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

On Tuesday, September 23, 13 people were arrested in connection with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute drugs including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, according to a news report at NBC4i.com. The arrests were made in Columbus and involved local, state, and federal agencies.

Authorities state that some of the arrests were made at Michoacana market businesses throughout the city. Investigators in the case claim that members of the group used profits from the sale of illegal drugs to purchase vehicles and in an attempt to launder the proceeds.

According to the indictment, members of the group distributed cocaine, or were charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Five people were arrested for distributing methamphetamine, or possession with intent to distribute. In addition, it alleges that those arrested have conspired to distribute heroin since the beginning of 2011.

Those arrested in the drug bust range in age from 25 to 47 and include both men and women. Agencies who participated in the investigation include the DEA, IRS, the ATF, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Columbus Division of Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to other charges, many of the 13 arrested were charged with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine.

5 kilograms of cocaine is equal to 5000 grams. In the state of Michigan, individuals who are charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in amounts greater than 1,000 grams will face potential life in prison if convicted. In addition, the judge may impose a fine of up to $1 million.

Distributing or selling drugs is extremely serious business in Michigan, whether those drugs include cocaine, heroin, meth, marijuana, Vicodin or other prescription drugs, ecstasy, or any illegal substance. Even a possession charge is serious, particularly if an individual is found to have more of a substance in his or her possession than would be considered “normal” for personal use, as prosecutors may attempt to trump up the charge to one of possession with intent.

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In April of this year, 44-year-old Steven Duane Dent was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn to 20 years in federal prison for his role in trafficking narcotics, specifically cocaine and heroin, according to a recent announcement by United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. The DEA and IRS – Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Koopman participated in the investigation of Dent and others in the eastern district of Michigan, including defendant Abel Ruiz. 

According to court documents, Dent and Ruiz conspired with others to distribute nearly 13 kilograms of cocaine in this area of the state in March of 2007. Dent pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Following his 20-year term in a Tucson, Arizona institution and participation in a residential drug and alcohol program, Dent will be on supervised release for 10 years.

Dent was also charged in March of 2010 with money laundering which involved purchasing more than 50 money orders totaling more than $98,000. These money order transactions were an effort by Dent to disguise what the funds were being used for, and to avoid reporting the transactions as required by federal law.

Essentially, Dent and his co-conspirators worked to profit from the sale of illegal narcotics, and attempted to disguise these profits in order to avoid reporting to the IRS. Jarod Koopman said in a press release that like other criminals, drug dealers are motivated by greed. The crimes drug dealers are involved in have a devastating effect on the community. Koopman said that the IRS – Criminal Investigation will continue to provide financial expertise and work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to strip the profits from drug traffickers.

Trafficking illegal schedule I substances including cocaine and heroin is one of the most serious crimes anyone can be accused of. While possessing or manufacturing illegal drugs is serious, distributing and selling to others will result in substantial prison time and fines that can range into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

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Last month, nine people were arrested by the FBI and are facing federal charges for dealing drugs after an informant dubbed ‘CW1’ made a flurry of phone calls to law enforcement, according to a news article at City Paper. 

On August 11, seven of the nine individuals were arrested at the Mondawmin Mall parking lot within a four hour period. Later that day, two other individuals from Washington D.C. were arrested at an apartment complex in northwest Baltimore. A federal grand jury indicted all nine individuals on August 22, charging them in a cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

CW1, the informant, had been arrested after being found with several kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Following his arrest, he “set up” his customers by selling the drugs in the mall parking lot, so that FBI agents could make arrests. One of the arrests involved an individual who allegedly worked as a maintenance man at the Haddon Hill Apartments. A maintenance closet at the apartments contained $216,140 in cash, which agents seized.

Several of the nine individuals arrested appear to have been convicted at the federal level in the past. CW1 placed phone calls to his previous customers, informing them that he had cocaine and heroin. Eight of the nine people arrested brought cash with them; the ninth individual had been alerted by his probation officer, and showed up with no money. He said he did not understand why he was arrested, that he just came to “look at” the drugs and did not have any money on him.

In all, law enforcement seized close to a half-million dollars in cash, and arrested nine kilo-level drug dealers.

Federal drug charges are extremely serious. In Michigan, those who are charged with dealing drugs including heroin and cocaine will face severe penalties; however, the criminal penalties at the federal level are even harsher. For example, someone who is found guilty of trafficking up to 4,999 grams of a Schedule 1 drug such as heroin may spend up to 40 years in prison, and face fines of as much as $2,000,000. This is for a first-time offender. If an individual has a past drug conviction, the punishment will be more severe. The amount of drug or substance involved also plays a role in the punishment an individual will face if convicted.

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On August 15, 26-year-old Eric Santos of Nantucket was indicted on a charge of possession of heroin with intent to distribute after he allegedly flew to Hyannis from his home to purchase heroin, according to a news article at the Cape Cod Times. 

A Barnstable County grand jury indicted Santos on the charge, which came after police departments in Nantucket and Barnstable worked together to catch him. A police report indicated that Barnstable police were notified by Nantucket police that the suspect would be flying to Hyannis to purchase heroin to bring back to Nantucket via an Island Airlines flight.

After arriving in Hyannis, Santos was unknowingly followed by Barnstable police as he went to a McDonald’s and was delivered to a Hyannis residence after being picked up by a taxi. Santos allegedly remained inside the residence only a short time before leaving in a taxi and being dropped off at the airport. This is when police approached the suspect with a drug-sniffing dog. Upon the dog detecting narcotics, police found a digital scale and 12 grams of heroin in Santos’ backpack, estimated to have a street value of $6,000.

In Massachusetts, the criminal penalties for a first-time offender convicted of possession of heroin with intent to distribute include a maximum of 10 years in state prison, or 2 1/2 years in the House of Correction, along with fines of up to $10,000 and loss of driver’s license.

These are very serious penalties, however in Michigan the consequences an individual will face if found guilty of heroin possession with intent to deliver are even more serious. A first-time offender convicted of this drug offense when less than 50 grams of heroin is involved will face a maximum prison term of 20 years, along with fines of as much as $25,000.

It is important to know that when a person possesses an illegal drug such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or even marijuana, the amount in that person’s possession may dictate whether prosecutors attempt to charge the individual with possession, or possession with intent to distribute or deliver. When the amount of a drug a person possesses is more than police and prosecutors feel someone would possess for his or her own personal use, they may attempt to up the charges to include distribution. This will result in harsher penalties if the defendant is found guilty.

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On Wednesday, August 20, authorities searched the home of a Frederick, Maryland man they believed to be distributing illegal drugs. The home of 24-year-old Richard Thomas Rodgers Jr. was searched by Frederick County Special Services Team and the Frederick County Narcotics Task Force, according to an article at the Frederick News-Post.

Court papers revealed that Rodgers’ home was searched just before 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and that officers located various drug paraphernalia items along with a safe containing drugs in a bedroom. Officers had to pry the safe open, but once inside discovered three 30 mg. oxycodone pills and five bags of heroin estimated to be a total of 10 grams.

Rodgers is charged with a single count each of possession of heroin, possession of oxycodone, possession of drug paraphernalia, heroin distribution, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Heroin possession and possession with intent to distribute are serious charges, regardless of where an alleged offender lives. The state of Michigan is particularly hard on drug offenders in terms of criminal penalties for those found guilty. For example, anyone who is convicted of heroin possession with intent to deliver heroin in an amount less than 50 grams will face a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to $25,000 in fines, or both. Even if it is determined that an individual was in possession of less than 50 grams of heroin but did not intend to sell or distribute the drug, he or she may still face up to four years in prison, and the same fine as mentioned above. The criminal penalties for oxycodone possession in an amount less than 50 grams are the same as those for heroin possession.

Anyone who is found to be in possession of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, or any illegal drug should consult with a skilled Michigan drug crime attorney at once. Depending on the amount of the substance involved, police/prosecutors may attempt to turn a possession charge into a possession with intent to distribute charge, which means penalties that are much harsher if convicted.

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On Friday, August 8, several people considered “major players” in an Orlando-based drug organization were arrested, according to News 13. Authorities uncovered an elaborate drug trafficking ring in which overnight shipments of drugs originating in California including cocaine and marijuana were arriving at hotels in Orlando, a sting the authorities dubbed ‘Operation Hotel California.’

Several agencies worked in conjunction to make the major drug bust a success including the Orange and Seminole County Sheriff’s Offices, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, and the Orlando Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.

Suspects who were arrested in the drug bust faces various charges from trafficking cocaine and marijuana, conspiracy to traffic cocaine in excess of 400 grams, conspiracy to traffic marijuana in excess of 25 pounds to importation of marijuana and racketeering. News reports indicate that the Orlando Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation began receiving information in December of last year that parcels which were “suspicious” were being delivered to hotels in Orlando, specifically those on International Drive.

At the time of news reports 26 people in all had been identified, arrested, or were in the process of being arrested. While the names were not released at the time, two people were identified. 35-year-old Binh Tran of Westminster, California is believed to be the supplier of the marijuana. Authorities also revealed that 29-year-old Joshua Slemons was the ringleader of the Florida portion of the drug operation.

There is no doubt that the individuals involved in this drug ring will face serious criminal penalties if convicted. In the state of Michigan, cocaine possession with intent to distribute or deliver involving 400 grams up to 449 grams will leave the defendant facing up to 20 years in prison along with fines of up to $250,000 if found guilty. Amounts of more than 450 grams adds a possible additional 10 years in prison to the sentence, and increases fines to a maximum of $500,000.

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