Hagerstown, Md. Washington County > Washington County Maryland Narcotics Task Force. Information entered into this system will be submitted to the Washington County Narcotics Task Force only. He liked the feeling the Vicodin gave him and began to sometimes take the pills just for that hydrocodone buzz. From March 20 to April 24, 2019, law enforcement surveilled activity at the suspected unit on a daily basis and observed Smith opening the storage unit to weigh and process suspected narcotics for distribution. At that time, police apprehended Beckette, who was inside the duplex, Kerns said. The task force also arrested Shawn Oliver on Monday for having an active warrant out for his arrest for the distribution of heroin, police said. Beckette and Anderson were being held at the detention center Wednesday, each in lieu of a $50,000 bond. The crisis, he says, is driving a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, a bellwether for other social problems. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Carroll County drug dealers arrested on federal charges - WMAR By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca Photography by BENJAMIN C. TANKERSLEY | July 2018, By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca. She tried treatment and rehab several times, and even laid down on the familys lawn once, begging her father to shoot her to put her out of her misery. But how many people do you know that have been attacked by a terrorist? She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. Three Hagerstown residents charged following drug bust - Herald-Mail Media This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. Additionally, through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. In a Brookings Institution study of 114 metropolitan areas that specialized in manufacturing from 1980-2005, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg (West Virginia) area had the second-highest percentage of industry job change in the U.S., a staggering 70 percent. , Rep. Hoyer on legacy, traditions and Speaker McCarthy, How much more DMV residents will pay for healthcare, Husband of missing DC real estate executive arrested, Virginia H.S. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The narcotics task force is a joint operation of the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the Hagerstown Police Department. Williams is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. HAGERSTOWN, Md. July 28, 2021 / 2:11 PM He is being held at the Washington County Detention Center on a $80,000 bond. The - Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maryland | Facebook Over a period of about three years, he went from prescription Vicodin to shooting up heroin. A Hagerstown appliance store owner is charged with using it as a front for an illegal drug operation estimated to havehandled millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, according to federal authorities. We get to engage and feel like were being a positive influence on the city.. The arrests were made during an eight-week investigation that was centered in the Queen City Drive and Park Street areas and was launched in response to complaints from citizens, businesses and visitors concerning the solicitation of prostitution. For a century, Hagerstown had been the dominant city, and Frederick a little cow town. The huge A&W Johnston clock, first built in 1836 and later refurbished, still stands four stories above the town square in a period brick building. Beckette was charged with three counts each of intent to distribute narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. George Wallace campaigned here in 1968 and 1972. Arrest made in Feb. 5 Hagerstown homicide. In the first decades after World War II, during the early rumblings of the automobile age, Hagerstown continued to thrive, becoming a trucking hub as well a rail hub. An official website of the United States government. The rest of the state did not share that history, and Hagerstown and towns like it are dealing with something entirely new. The City Council will likely be forced to raise property taxes again this year. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Christine Jenkins, one count of distribution of heroin. Justin Ernest Riggs, 33, was arrested Saturday and is accused of leaking information to a drug trafficking organization . -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. Press Release. She highlighted not just the personal toll of the opioid epidemic on families but decreasing property values, its effect on businesses and workforce participation rates, and the immense strain placed on the citys police, EMS, and fire department budgets. The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines in Caroline and Dorchester counties and parts of Delaware. The drug task force is comprised of sworn law enforcement officers and contributionsfrom theCaroline County Sheriff's Department, Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Caroline County States Attorney's Office, and the Denton Police Department. After the public schools and hospital, the largest employers in Washington County today are the sprawling Citi and First Data call centers. The following agencies maintain drop boxes to drop off your not-needed prescription medication. In an emotional press conference, she pointed the finger directly at the pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue Pharma, which hired hundreds of sales representatives to promote their product and has been accused of using misleading information to hide the drugs addiction potential. a view from the abandoned hospital parking garage across from the antietam street clinic. Major Drug and Weapons Bust Announced from February 9th in Hagerstown Across the country, rural addiction rates have surpassed those in urban areas, yet there is still not a single inpatient drug treatment facility in Washington County. A Hagerstown appliance store was allegedly used as a hub for the illegal activities. (DC News Now) The Hagerstown Police Department said officers executed a search and seizure warrant at 115 S. Mulberry St. on Oct. 7, finding fentanyl, crack cocaine, $5,000 cash, and firearms. Cameron Tibbs, one counts of distribution of heroin. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. surgeon general, only one in 10 people with an addiction problem receives treatment. "The operation in this case, I think it's fair to say, dealt with millions of dollars of drugs and proceeds," he said. All rights reserved. I wanted to knock down doors and haul bad guys off to jail, and thats what I did for 30 years., Since his daughters death, Simmers and Brooke's stepmother, Dana, have been very public about sharing their experience, sparing none of their familys worst moments and pain. Joseph Archie Spain III, 44, of Preston, Maryland. A block away, the City of Hagerstown opened the artist-run Engine Room Art Space and four artist apartments above it in 2015, which also breathes some life into the city. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. More than 1,000 pounds of prescription medicine is collected in the first two hours of the event, which is held in an empty parking lot outside the county health offices. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. During the early morning hours of December 20 th, the Allegany County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of numerous allied agencies executed search and seizure warrants at three separate locations in the Town of Westernport. Theyll deliver. y any definition, the epidemic in this part of Maryland, a state with one of the top five death rates from opioids in the country, is among the worst anywhere. They dont stand a chance., The societal ripple effect of the opioid epidemic cant be overstated, says Piercy, who doesnt have to look any farther than outside his downtown Potomac Street office window to witness people nodding and passing out. When his Vicodin prescription ended, he started buying it on the street, until 5-milligram Vicodins werent enough. Is Hagerstown eating its way to dementia? 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. Neither did the Washington County health officer or then-Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith, who questioned the wisdom of opening a methadone clinic in a city that, he claimed, did not have a heroin problem. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. In an indictment unsealed on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur announced that four have been arrested and two are still being sought in connection with the Hagerstown drug bust. Robison. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. As Western Maryland battles the opioid crisis, meth is surging - DEA Though extreme, the transition seemed gradual. All rights reserved. Thirty-two-year-old City Councilwoman Emily Keller, a go-getter single mom and insurance agent, lost her oldest friend to an overdose and ran for office specifically to lead the fight against the opioid epidemic. Youll see people dressed up nice to see a play or film, and you have addicts walking around, says Matthew Hast, a sculptor who lives at Engine Room. Torri Deann Richardson, 37, and Roger Dean Saylor III, 30, were. The search warrants were a result of a multi- state . He was taken into custody Tuesday at his Security Road home, Kerns said. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland, and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit. Earlier this spring, Keller, the city councilwoman who lost her best friend to an overdose, announced that the city would be joining several hundred municipalities, counties, and states in pursuing legal action against the nations largest drugmakers, alleging that they played a key role in launching the opioid epidemic. Md. 'drug kingpins' arrested; more than $1M in drugs seized He moved toThe Frederick News-Postin 1989 but lived in Hagerstown until 2000. Police allege Anthony Latimer, 41, Hagerstown, was dealing drugs from his car when Alpha Platoon patrol officers approached the car in the 300 block of North Jonathan Street at 5:30 a.m. Latimer stepped . Agents say anyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing drugtip@washco-md.net, orvisiting their website at wcntf.net. "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. If effective, they will be a start in rebuilding Hagerstowns economy and, ultimately, its quality of life. Economists studying national trends say people should simply vacate towns like Hagerstownand seek work elsewhere. Still, they are something of a Hail Mary pass for municipalities. Prosecutors alleged they conspired to sell 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine and . With a projected $125 million in investments needed to fully develop the proposala big ifthe project, according to city officials, has the potential to create 875 jobs. Daily, he watches people, mostly in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, selling and scoring drugs in the citys central parking lot behind the gallery. Police said a more than three-year investigation. Calls can not be returned if call blocking features are used. (Currently affiliated with the Nationals, the Suns draw a South Atlantic league-low 896 fans per game; Frederick led the Carolina League in attendance from 2012-2016, attracting nearly 5,000 fans a game.). These kinds of places are where non-college-educated, white working-class people have been dying in increasing numbers from what Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton referred to in their landmark 2015 paper as deaths of despairsuicide, drug poisoning, and liver diseasewhich are reversing the life expectancy progress that the U.S. has seen over the past 50 years. Timothy Michael Ford, age 23 of Hagerstown, MD (1) Possession of heroin (2) The rear of North and Locust Food Mart. But the sad fact is that in 2018, Phoenix Health Center drawsmore people downtown than anything else on a Saturday. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force recovered approximately 188 grams of suspected heroin and 95 grams of suspected methamphetamine Monday from 807 Hamilton Blvd. Through the investigation and the evidence, officers were able to obtain 11 search warrants. Alternative Drug & Alcohol Counseling (ADAC), 370 Virginia Ave, Hagerstown MDPhone: (301) 766-0065 or email [emailprotected], 64 South Main Street, Boonsboro, MD 21713, Meetings in Parish House (Park in back, house to the right), Capturing Washington County, Maryland's faces, places and unique spaces with creative and artful imagery. I wanted to be in narcotics. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Andre Luther Woolford, 33, of Hurlock, Maryland. The mayor and City Council at the time didnt want it. West Virginia State Police have denied a request to release dash camera footage or body camera footage of an incident on Feb. 12 on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, W.Va., in which a Hagerstown man died after a struggle with a trooper. College Park mayor, DC COVID Centers to close at the end of March, Mother calls for answers after son killed by police, MTPD: Two teenagers arrested, one had gun, Burglar used Germantown mans toothbrush, razor,, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Narcotics Task Force | Hagerstown, MD - Official Website On June 29, the task force said agents presented cases to a Grand Jury that resulted in the indictment of 16 Hagerstown residents. A mortality rate increase for any first-world demographic group had been virtually unheard of for decades, with the exception of Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a phenomenon blamed on soaring alcoholism rates. This place is a blessing. Mostly sunny skies with gusty winds. Because of that, its residents have more money and higher expectations, and a strong restaurant base and downtown arts and culture district has grown there, sustained by its community. Later, outside a Rotary Club meeting, Keller talks more optimistically about the citys current efforts to tackle the crisis. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Jazzmen Vaughn, one count distribution of heroin and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Washington, D.C. Man Convicted After Nine-Day Trial for Use of a Firearm in Connection with a Murder and a Robbery, and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Meanwhile, health care, housing, and education costs have skyrocketed over the ensuing decades, but wages, adjusted for inflation, have remained essentially flat in Hagerstown, growing just 5 percent in total over that 25-year span. The first indictment names 25 defendants accused in one or more of the drug conspiracies. Maybe 10-15 percent dont give you any problem and are trying to do the right thing, says Lee Green, an addictions counselor who is also an active member of a 12-step program. The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. In the early 1980s, King ran a large drug operation in East Baltimore and was a well-known figure, driving a DeLorean sports car and smoking with a bejeweled Zippo. There were things going on, but no cohesiveness at the top.. . October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. Nine arrested in early morning drug bust in Westernport | WCBC Its low-income, and I think its hard for people to find and keep employment there, he says. Weve been struggling for decades and hopefully this will get the ball rolling, she says. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force performed the drug raid at a Hagerstown apartment after first obtaining a warrant based on a narcotics investigation of that address. The indictments were returned July 20, said Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard of the northern district of West Virginia. HAGERSTOWN, MD Five Hagerstown residents have been arrested after a major drug and weapons bust February 9th announced by The Washington County Sheriff's Office and its law enforcement partners this week. If we were somehow able to turn around the [addiction] numbers today, it would take another 20 years to shake off the damage., police investigating a burglary on West Franklin Street. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Some of the NFT agents are also federally deputized members of the DEA, which gives these local agents enforcement powers anywhere in the United States. We have more kids living with their grandparents and a greater need for foster parents. Christina Boward, two counts of distribution of heroin. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base "crack," with a street value of approximately $471,000. Spain is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. The state Attorney General's Office announced that 13 people, including a dietary sergeant at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Anne Arundel County, were indicted on charges they. On Monday, the following people were brought into custody: Terry Ernede Jr., two counts of distribution of heroin. Police Seize 83 Pounds of Meth in Massive Montgomery Co. Drug Bust In a town with two traditional public high schoolsNorth High and South Highit has become the norm for incoming generations to attend several funerals before seeing their first classmate get married. Joshua Reed, one count of distribution of heroin. he one place in Maryland that has had a long struggle with heroin use is Baltimore, of course. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Simms is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. Another resident artist, Anthony Jones Jr., is a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic who credits artand Engine Roomas part of his salvation, giving him a sense of purpose and allowing him to be creative rather than self-destructive. Still at largewere Mota, Luna, Rodriguez, Longus, Rose,Orrillio,Velasquez-Lopez,Pinkcett, Gregory, Brown and Nunez-Arias, authorities said. Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Bernard saidMota is accused of using hisbusiness, Top 3 Sources on West Washington Street, to store and sell drugs and launder the proceeds. The opioid trade has become so lucrative here that dealers from Baltimore and even New York travel to Hagerstown, and often farther into West Virginia, because they can earn up to $40 more a gram for heroin and a similarly higher profit margin for fake pills, like the counterfeit, fentanyl-laced Vicodin that killed Prince. TheCaroline County Drug Task Force is a multi-agencydrug task force, based inRidgely, Maryland; which functions under the direction and control of thedrug task forceadvisoryboard. Some folksa waitress with an apron tied around her waist, a guyin construction gearare clearly stopping by on their way to a job. Two drug busts were done on Wednesday after a three month investigation discovered a drug trafficking organization in the area. Bernard said agents serveda search warrant at the store in June and seized approximately $500,000 worth of drugs, including a kilogram of heroin and nine kilograms of cocaine. Two more telltale signs of Hagerstowns plight are present here as well: The countys storefront offices sit in an all-but-abandoned shopping center, and nearby is a Superfund site, less than a mile from three public schools, and still in need of remediation two decades after it was added to the EPAs National Priorities List. This is across the boardand Ill be the first to agree that attitudes are changing because more white people are dyingthats totally fair. But after 50 years of decline, Elliott and others say downtown is finally showing signs of recovery, even if it is a long road ahead. seventy-five miles west of Baltimore, the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. E, all face drug charges, according to Kerns and online court records. I cannot count the number of friends who have died after I almost did, says Katie Wetzel, 27, a recovering addict in Hagerstown who is now married with three kids. The epidemic has not peaked yet by any means, says Mike Piercy, director of the Washington County Department of Social Services. 6:15 AM. The C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal, which passes through Washington County and primarily transported coal, was already in operation by then, having been completed in 1850. A huge component of this initiative includes a $40-million effort, started in 2017, which will expand three key institutionsthe University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, the Maryland Theatre, and Barbara Ingram School for the Artswith a slated completion date of spring of 2020. s the former managing editor of Hagerstowns daily newspaper,The Herald-Mail, Dave Elliott witnessed firsthand the citys downward spiral. Derosiers isBeing held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. Thats everyone I know. #washcoproud, CDS Possession/Use of Cocaine and Derivatives, CDS Possession/Use of Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl), CDS Sale/Manufacturing Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl), CDS Sale/Manufacturing Other Dangerous Drugs, CDS With Intent to Distribute Narcotics, Please contact Deb Fling at (301) 514-7373 or email, Washington County Government is hiring for full-ti, The Washington County Office of Emergency Manageme, SAVE THE DATE! Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and The NTF is responsible for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of persons who violate the controlled dangerous substance laws of Maryland, regardless of the sophisitication of the illicit operation. People began to say, Oh, if it can happen to that family, it can happen to my family, Sterling says. Saturday mornings are the busiest days of the week because the drug treatment clinic is closed on Sundaysmeaning that several hundred people begin showing up at 5 a.m. to ensure that they cancollect their extra days supply of methadone or buprenorphine. A sitting train and truck behind a lot along West Franklin Street. Michael Romito, three counts of distribution of heroin. 2 counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, 3 counts of using a firearm in drug trafficking, Possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( It is a cruel twist that Hagerstown, on the receiving end of so much heroin from Baltimore, has such a shortage of addiction specialists that the Wells House, one of the largest outpatient clinics here, utilizes Baltimore doctors via telemedicine to treat its clients. Big out-of-town industries such as Fairchild Aircraft, which once employed 10,000 people and closed its plant in 83, and Mack Trucks, which arrived in 1961 (and still makes trucks here, although it employs fewer people), were controlled from a distance and had no stake in the community, Elliott asserts. From March 20 to April 24, 2019, law enforcement surveilled activity at the suspected unit on a daily basis and observed Smith opening the storage unit to weigh and process suspected narcotics for distribution. Home to one-fourth of the countys population, Hagerstown accounts for the majority of those seeking treatment, as well as the majority of overdose fatalities, which included 21 city residents in the first four-and-a-half months of this yeara pace that would, if it continues, triple last years total. She mentions the increased training for Narcan, a medication that can prevent fatal overdoses, across the city. Simmers, an outgoing, thick-shouldered 53-year-old, joined the military out of high school in the early 1980s with the intention of going into law enforcement. The Frederick Police Department is seeking assistance locating a 17-year-old male, who has been missing since June. If you are in immediate danger dial 911. Maryland State Police officer with Hagerstown ties accused of leaking When the University System of Maryland satellite campus at University Plaza was established in the city center in 2005, it was the first time anything like that had moved into town in decades: something big, with money behind it and staying power. Instead, you go get high and forget about it for a while., Forty-year-old Brooks Zombro, who has lived in Hagerstown his whole life, puts it another way: Hagerstown is a manufacturing town, then we lost all those factory jobs our parents and grandparents had, [and] it has become a playground for big box retail that has all but eliminated and destroyed our downtowns small business district. I mean you can kind of look at it as a small part of the community that we you know are dealing with but we know its not just at the end of security road, washignton gardens that end of town, its all over the town, said Sgt. Quicker than ordering a pizza.". Opioids may be the deadliest catastrophe to hit Hagerstown, but the current crisis follows a long string of blows to a city that never made the transition from a mechanical to a hi-tech economy. Corey Diehl, two counts of distribution of heroin. Spain is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. Andrew Clopper, one count of distribution of heroin. Ten years ago, the Hagerstown native started having seizures once or twice a week that left his muscles tense, his bones aching, and his head feeling like it might explode. Frederick County Sheriff's Office Assists In Taking Down Major Drug Operation In Hagerstown Last Week February 13, 2023 - 3:40 pm Five people were arrested; large quantities of drugs confiscated. A Hagerstown pawn shop. basketball state quarterfinal highlights, D.C. high school basketball playoffs highlights (3/3/23), Maryland high school basketball playoffs highlights, Court docs reveal videos fmr. One (seemingly) solid mayor, Republican Donald Frush, who served from 1981-1985 and was known as the Father of Planning in Washington County, disappeared during his campaign for a second term and was found by a reporter at a Johns Hopkins psych ward. A local taxi company sporadically drops people off. Hagerstown investigation leads to arrests of 2 alleged drug dealers

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