Copyright 2021 WSAZ. READ MORE: Virginia massage therapist arrested for sexual battery while on the job. Police say 33-year-old James Martell Frazier, of Cambridge, Maryland, and Seaford, Delaware, was the leader, supervisor, financier and manager of an illegal drug network that spanned multiple . OK, lets see. Authorities estimate the value of the drugs at $8.5 million. Our culture is so messed up. So he went to the West Virginia board of pharmacy. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. A lot of times there will be property crimes and gun crimes (too) but its all inter-related and sometimes the gun crimes and property crimes will be secondary nature to the underlying drug investigation.. READ MORE: Trump supporter charged with assault after blowing on women near Virginia Trump club. Like Ballengee, he claimed not to know about the reputation of the prescribing doctors, including one who was described in a local newspaper as a danger to the community because he prescribed thousands of addictive pills without legitimate purpose. Smith went and watched. The last thing we want is for the US Postal Service to become the nations largest drug dealer and there are people way above my pay grade working on that, but absolutely its about putting pressure on the Chinese, Terwilliger said. The Jackson County Bureau of Investigations spearheaded the investigation with the aid of officers from the Jackson County Sheriffs Department, Ravenswood Police Department, United States Marshal, Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. appreciated. Richmond Weather Cams. Those four were: Michael Figueroa, 28, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to distribute concaine base, aiding and abetting maintaining a drug involved premises and distribution of cocaine base. Ballengee testified in earlier civil depositions. Its a potential game changer for Huntington and southern West Virginia, Stuart said. Stuart said this was the largest meth bust in West Virginia history. Do Not Sell My Personal Information Temperatures in Virginia. But at the front end were thousands of pharmacies dispensing the pills, and among the pharmacists were profiteers. During the search, 4.5 kilos of a fentanyl/heroin mix, $40,000 in cash and several handguns were found. The longest drug-smuggling tunnel ever was discovered on April 20, 2016, spanning the U.S.-Mexico border. Ratique Wilson, 25, charged with federal counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting maintaining a drug involved premises, distribution of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and use of a fire during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The alleged suspects range in age from 19 to 63 years old. Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday in a major drug trafficking sweep in Huntington, W.Va., a city hit hard by the opioid epidemic. All he had to do was lend his name to the prescriptions and one of the nurses at the clinic would fill it out. Martinsburg. accounts, the history behind an article. Be Nice. The boards punishment was to require him to write a book report on a medical textbook called Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physicians Guide. It was a profound stop and seizure of extremely hard drugs that have plagued this area and others, according to Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood. Share with Us. Both Ellifritz and Bruce expressed their appreciation for all the departments working together in order to execute this warrant. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. There was an error processing your request. This is a continual battle; these officers are right back at it tomorrow morning.. Ihlenfeld said nine of those charged were already incarcerated. 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JCSO officials say Operation Centennial Sweep totaled 113 warrants for drugs involving methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, prescription narcotics, and marijuana. Its definitely the biggest Ive seen, Chief Bruce said. 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Eventually, the FBI and state police moved in on the Sav-Rite in Kermit in 2009, arresting Wooley. Still at largewere Mota, Luna, Rodriguez, Longus, Rose,Orrillio,Velasquez-Lopez,Pinkcett, Gregory, Brown and Nunez-Arias, authorities said. Operation Angels Envy also had a far-reaching impact throughout the DMV. We won't share it with anyone else. Subscribe today. These days, the town has shrunk to 9,889 residents and the economic prospects have dimmed. Terrence McGuirk, 51, who was jailed after the historic "Project Parkersburg" drug bust, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. 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. Before long, people in town were calling the Williamson Wellness Center a pill mill. As a landmark federal opioid trial nears completion, West Virginia communities are demanding $2.5 billion in compensation. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Be Truthful. Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. Commander Domenico Napolitano, head of the financial police for the city of Naples, told CNN . Hes a fine fella, said Charles Sparks, Kermits mayor then and now. Up until his arrest, Ballengee continued to insist that he was doing no more than filling prescriptions written by doctors. The Food Guy: New modern tavern coming to Bridge Road, Auditor McCuskey announces bid for WV governor, Dear Abby: Wife has no appreciation for man's preferred dress, Girls basketball regionals: Charleston Catholic suffocates Roane County to win Region 4 co-final 42-30, WV House narrowly passes bill that would cap noneconomic losses recoverable from employers that deliberately imperil workers, New research finds increased death risk for miners from lung diseases beyond black lung, Boys basketball sectional semis: SC goes deep to start postseason run, Senate suspends rules, approves religious freedoms bill in one day, WVU basketball: Mountaineers rally late, win at Iowa State, Panic! According to the sheriffs office, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorneys office assisted in nabbing $6.5 million in drugs, guns and cash linked to Mexicos notorious Sinaloa Cartel. Roughly enough Heroin to supply an estimated 500,000 heroin users for a month. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. He will become radicalized and when/if he gets out he will be a bigger threat than ever. of marijuana are now off the streets in what authorities say could be the largest drug bust in Richmond's history . Hoyler faces 10 years to life in federal prison. Officers assigned to the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force have been working diligently over the past several months to identify and gather evidence against numerous individuals in Nicholas and Fayette Counties who are allegedly engaged in the sale and distribution of various controlled substances in these counties, the offices of the prosecuting attorneys said in a joint statement. NELSON COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Twenty-two people in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley face drug-related charges, such as racketeering or distribution of methamphetamine. Police chief: Oak Hill drug bust biggest in 19 years. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay . Under Trump, the jobs boom . Success! This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Although Tranquilandia is referred to as a drug lab, it's actually much bigger. The giveaway was the drive-thru window, and the cars lined up past the abandoned ghost shops in downtown Williamson, West Virginia. On Monday, officers arrested Eric Armstrong, 38; Krystal Dellagatta, 30 and Roger Ware, 43, and seized 1.7 pounds of methamphetamine. Unfortunately with his views he will probably be taken in by Aryan Nation, DMI, or some other club for insecure underdeveloped white folks. One individual charged had been deported in 2014 and reentered the US illegally. On his way out the door, having made more than $250,000 from opioid prescribing in just two years, the doctor recruited his successor, Dr Augusto Abad, who lived 90 minutes away in the state capital, Charleston, and rarely saw patients. Ballengee and the other drug store owners kept escalating the orders, and the distributors filled them without flinching. But he just got into that other business, and it starts snowballing and greed took over. Operation Angels Envy culminated in one of the largest cumulative takedowns in the area with 33 individuals charged, and seizure totals of 473 pounds of methamphetamine, 42 kilograms of fentanyl, nine kilograms of heroin, 129 kilograms of cocaine, 5,100 pounds of other drugs, over $5.3M in US Currency, 114 firearms (many of which were assault-style weapons), and over $700,000 in jewelry and vehicles. Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists. All in a town of fewer than 3,000 people. 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. Zombie drug seen in Cabell Co. Kanawha County man has been missing for 7 years, Man wanted for pointing handgun at person, Some parts of Columbus Zoo are getting upgrades, I-64E reopens after tractor-trailer crash in Cabell, JB McCuskey launches run for West Virginia Governor, Applications open to participate in Hillbilly Days, Waverly man arrested for abducting person with firearm, $409K to be used for affordable housing in WV, The New StormTracker 13 VIPIR Real Time Radar, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What officials are calling the largest mass arrest of drug offenders in West Virginia history occurred Thursday when 100 people were targeted for reportedly committing more than 300 drug offenses. 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