Articles Posted in Drug Possession

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.

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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