Articles Posted in Drug Charges

In October of 2014, Back NET (the Wasatch Back Narcotics Enforcement Team) performed surveillance at a Heber City, Utah motel, the M-Star, where they suspected drugs were being sold from a motel room. Agents with Back NET then obtained a search warrant which resulted in a sting operation that led to the arrest of a man and two women.

According to an article at KUTV.com, Brien Mills was arrested on a street in the city, and was allegedly in possession of drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine. He was arrested. Meanwhile, police went to the M-Star Motel, where they discovered what they called a “large quantity” of drugs, mostly methamphetamine. A spokesman for the Heber City police said that “There was meth everywhere,” and that one of the officers in searching the motel room bumped into a lamp. A baggie containing meth fell out of the lamp. The two women, Allyson Vavro and Tiffany Monson, were arrested. Investigators allege that the two women were selling drugs out of the motel room.

Some of the paraphernalia found include loaded and unloaded heroin syringes, and used meth pipe. The three face misdemeanor and first-degree felony drug charges.

On Sunday December 28, a Morley, Missouri man was taken into custody for allegedly possessing a controlled substance, violating a protective order, and resisting arrest. 56-year-old Kevin McClendon was in possession of methamphetamine, according to a news article at the Southeast Missourian; he was also charged with unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

A senior deputy with the Scott County Sheriff Department confronted McClendon at a business in Morley on Sunday morning regarding violations of an adult protection order. The deputy informed McClendon that he was being arrested for the violation; McClendon then pulled a container from a jacket that was inside his vehicle, which he had decided to leave at the location. The container had a plastic bag inside containing a substance that was found to be methamphetamine. McClendon was ordered to surrender the drugs to the deputy.

McClendon then backed up and walked away from the deputy, dropping the bag on the ground. At that point, the deputy took the offender’s left arm and ordered him to the ground, but McClendon would not comply and continued to resist arrest. He was eventually forced to the ground and handcuffed.

On Wednesday, December 17, five individuals were arrested in what is said to be the biggest heroin bust in the history of Northeast Indiana, according to an announcement made on Monday at a press conference held by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Five individuals were charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin. These include 29-year-old Eduardo Martinez, 28-year-old Gisela Leyva Gamez, 40-year-old Cesar Rosales, 32-year-old Rigoberto Martinez, and 41-year-old Juan Rosales Suarez. Gamez is a resident of Phoenix, Rosales a resident of Wilmington, California, and Suarez a resident of Memphis.

Authorities began the investigation by placing wiretaps on two of Martinez’ cell phones. They then witnessed a telephone conversation in which Martinez was discussing the delivery of heroin to Fort Wayne with Gamez. Agents were surveying the planned delivery location on December 17th when they watched as a white pickup truck delivered heroin to a garage at a Fort Wayne home. The agents discovered 3.5 kilograms of heroin inside the garage, and captured Martinez and Gomez as they attempted to run away. After being issued a search warrant for the pickup truck, authorities discovered an additional 4.5 kilograms of heroin hidden inside a spare tire on Friday, December 19.

On Monday, a Marianna, FL man who members of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had been looking for was captured after receiving information on where the suspect was located. The suspect, 29-year-old Robert Lee Garrett, had a felony warrant for Violation of State Probation.

The sheriff’s office had attempted to capture Garrett on previous occasions, but had failed in their attempts to locate him. Acting on the information they received regarding his whereabouts, members of patrol set up in the area, along with K-9 and investigation divisions. Tracking K-9 units from the Apalachee Correctional Institution and Jackson Correctional Institution also participated in the efforts to capture Garrett.

Garrett was said to be a passenger in a specific vehicle, so members of the patrol waited for the vehicle which was supposed to be in the area of Dean and Panhandle Roads. When the vehicle did arrive, deputies attempted to make contact with Garrett, however he fled on foot after exiting the vehicle. Officers pursued the suspect, and took him into custody after a short time.

On Saturday, December 6, two individuals from Brandon, MS were arrested following a traffic stop in Rankin County. According to a news article at Fox5Vegas, 30-year-old Tracie Burt and 37-year-old Thomas Allen Jr. were in the vehicle which was pulled over at approximately 9 p.m. by Rankin County police. A five-month-old baby was also inside the vehicle.

Upon pulling the car over, police found 80 grams of methamphetamine inside the vehicle. Burt and Allen were charged with child endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of more than 30 grams of meth ice, and five counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. The two also face additional charges, Burt with disorderly conduct, open container, and introducing contraband into a correctional facility, and Allen with DUI, DUI child endangerment, tampering with evidence, careless driving, and more.

The article claimed the street value of the methamphetamine found in the vehicle to be about $8,000. Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said that this was a “large amount of street level dope,” and that it was destined toward the young men and women of Rankin County.

Thanksgiving week, 23-year-old Oscar Eduardo Espinoza-Echeverria was arrested following a drug bust in McKenzie County in North Dakota. According to news sources, police obtained a search warrant before searching Espinoza-Echeverria’s trailer located at a Watford City RV park.

He is now facing serious drug charges including possession of cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to deliver while in possession of firearms, classified as ‘AA’ felonies in the state.

Upon searching the suspect’s trailer law enforcement discovered 13 ounces of meth, one ounce of cocaine, thousands of dollars in cash, and three guns. They also found numerous cell phones, scales, and what they described as a “pay-owe” sheet. When authorities searched his body, they found a valid Mexican driver’s license, additional cash, and multiple fake ID’s.

On Wednesday, November 19, 23-year-old Jamie Lynn France was arrested during a drug bust at a Salem, Oregon hotel, according to an article at Reuters. France is a former Miss Teen Oregon-World beauty pageant winner. In the course of the drug bust, police discovered heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and records of drug sales, according to authorities.

France was charged with possession of heroin, suboxene, and methamphetamine. There were several others arrested, including 37-year-old Jarrod Thomas Wells, and 37-year-old Erin Marie Wells. Police said they expected more arrests and charges in the case. Jarrod Wells faces charges of delivery of controlled substances and child neglect; Erin Wells is charged with child neglect and possession of heroin and meth. Erin Wells was charged after authorities searched her home and found her 4 and 7-year-old sons in the home, where drugs were within their reach. This led to the search at the nearby Roadway Inn in Salem.

If convicted, all of those involved will face serious criminal penalties. While charges of delivery of a controlled substance are more serious than possession, every drug offense has harsh consequences. In Michigan, possession of heroin in amounts less than 50 grams may result in a maximum of four years in prison, along with fines of up to $25,000. News reports did not indicate how much heroin France had in her possession, however penalties become greater the more of a drug someone is in possession of. For instance, possession of heroin in an amount between 450 and 999 grams will result in prison time of up to 30 years, along with fines of as much as $500,000.

Recently, a Marshfield, WI woman was arrested for allegedly using drugs in her hospital room the day after giving birth, according to a news article at WAOW ABC 9. 34-year-old Reva Martinez gave birth at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where the Marshfield police chief said employees smelled a burning odor coming from one of the labor and delivery rooms.

According to Police Chief Rick Gramza, the infant was in the room when police discovered the burnt smell was oxycodone. Martinez is accused of having drugs in her room, along with spoons containing white residue, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia. Others in the room at the time of the discovery included the baby’s father and his friend, however police were not certain whether they were also using drugs.

Hospital employees were concerned about the potential danger to the baby, who was placed under protective custody by DHS (Department of Human Services). The infant was still in the hospital on Monday. At the time of news reports, no charges had been filed against Martinez, however police are urging prosecutors to charge her with neglecting a child, possession of narcotic drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Friday November 7, a 29-year-old Columbus, Ohio drug trafficker was arrested in Indianapolis as he left a hotel. According to a news report at NBC4i.com, Oscar Vega-Gomez has eluded arrest since May of this year when he was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges came following an investigation by the Columbus Bulk Cash Smuggling Task Force, led by HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). 

Vega-Gomez had avoided detection by authorities by changing addresses and using several aliases. Following his arrest, the suspect’s Columbus-area home and two storage facilities in the vicinity were searched after task force officers executed federal search warrants. Upon searching his residence, officers discovered about $170,000 which was hidden behind a dishwasher in the kitchen. The cash was placed in a cutaway section of drywall.

Officers also found $200,000 in a hidden compartment inside a vehicle in one of the storage unites. The vehicle was seized by task force officers as well, as it is illegal to design hidden compartments in a vehicle in Ohio.

Last week, Prattville, Alabama police executed a drug search warrant at the home of a man suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine. When police went to Edward Melvin Henderson’s home to execute the warrant, he ran into a wooded area behind his home. Authorities were about to give up on the search when they decided to “sic” Henderson’s dog Bo, a husky/pit bull mix, on the suspect.

Bo was seemingly excited to have company, and according to a news article at CNN got his owner busted with a happy wag of the tail. Police told Bo to “go get him,” and that’s exactly what Bo did. Henderson was found hiding in tall grass, and was taken into custody without further incident.

Upon searching the property, investigators recovered meth lab components and methamphetamine. The suspect was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, and failure to obey police. Relatives have been caring for Bo since the incident.