Cocaine (Six other defendants have been indicted in separate, but related, cases). Fax Line:(816) 426-4210. "I think the problem is only continuing to skyrocket and blossom in our community," Martin said. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Official websites use .gov (KY3) - A trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol made a huge drug bust Monday during a traffic stop in Saline County. Additionally, Rory Dale Bechtel, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. Ingram was sentenced to 20 years in federal When Friend finally gets sentenced, that will be the end of the ring. So far this year, investigators with the SPDs Special Investigations Section have taken almost five pounds of heroin off the streets of Springfield. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control serves as the collection and entry point for statewide methamphetamine laboratory seizures. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. On an average weekday, hecould look out his front picture window and see children running around themulti-color playground of Sunshine Elementary School directly across the street. In 2005, there were 630 drug related arrests. Recovery Connection is the ultimate addiction recovery resource portal for information on the latest treatments, centers, and programs. According to a survey from the Missouri Department of Mental Health, teen marijuana use in Greene County has fluctuated over the last four years. This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. But now it just seems that theyre acutely intoxicated and they come in with altered mental status.. Before you go to work, before you make breakfast for your family, before anything.. A KOLR 10 investigation set out to find out if Missouri, or Greene County, is still the meth capital of the world. Shirley J. Hicks, 61, Raymon F. Ortega, 63, Benny D. Griffin, 57, Jose I. Gonzales, 37, Jordan W. Gutierrez, 25, and Shaun M. Ross, 39, all of West Plains, Missouri; Fontella J. Noose, 38, of Springfield, Missouri; James E. Cooper, 52, of Mountain View, Missouri; and Luis Ortiz Rodriguez, 36, address unknown, were charged in a 19-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Ortega, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Jennings (Bryco) .380-caliber pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a Jennings (Jimenez Arms) 9mm pistol on May 7, 2018. Hodges is also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school. Morgan allegedly possessed an SCCY 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Nov. 14, 2019. Other family and friends noted his generosity, saying he supported his own family and others financially even helping pay for the schooling of the son of a family friend after his father walked out on them. The most common form of ingestion was smoking. Christopher Brian Rogan, 44, no known address, was also charged in the superseding indictment and is a fugitive from justice. An official website of the United States government. (KY3) - A trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol made a huge drug bust Monday during a traffic stop in Saline County. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. Get information related to substance abuse in Missouri. With 189 in Greene County, that was second only to Jefferson County near St. Louis. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. biggest drug bust in springfield, missouri. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted for Meth Conspiracy, KC Man Charged with Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm After Arrest During Police Standoff, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted For Meth Conspiracy. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS MSHP trooper recovers 88 pounds of meth from traffic stop in Saline County, Mo. Bedell is also charged with two counts of distributing heroin and/or fentanyl, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. He said there isn't much demand here for the drug, and he agreed this year's spike in cocaine is likely an anomaly. The Springfield Police Department announced Wednesday that it has raided a major Western Massachusetts drug trafficking operation, seizing over 2 kilograms of heroin, 490 grams of cocaine, 40,000 bags of packaged heroin and $48,000 in cash. (null!=i&&i!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][n]=r)}}); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How to Choose The Right Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program, Addiction Treatment Focused on Health And Wellness in FL (Florida). A spokeswoman for Cox Hospital also said the medical staff has not noticed an increase this year in cocaine-related hospital visits. All of the defendants are also charged with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy during that time to use drug sale proceeds to promote the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to conceal the proceeds of that drug-trafficking conspiracy. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, Eleven More Defendants Indicted for $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy, KC Man Charged with Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm After Arrest During Police Standoff, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, Eleven More Defendants Indicted For $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy. In 2018, Missouri drops from the nations top 10 list. Meth ring: Springfield woman at'ground zero' of drug ring gets 22 months in prison. Most people in the conspiracy had no interactionswith anybody outside a few other members of the meth ring. Gutierrez also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Texas County. From all accounts, the high is euphoric, and the sobering crash back down to earth, painful. Ginnings, Sparks, Patterson, Jones, Hansen, Mainieri, Hoyt, King, Nelson, and Zieger also are charged together in one count of being felons in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition. Since 2004, meth lab busts across the country become scarce. They wrote letters to the federal judge handling the Lee's Summit man's sentencing. Defendants originally charged in the indictment are Trevor Scott Sparks, 31, Gerald L. Ginnings, 40, Gloria May Jones, 30, Vicente Araujo, 23, Leslie Ladon Walker, 33, and Paul J. Kibodeaux, 37, all of Kansas City, Mo. The Drug Enforcement Administration believes the group was responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds into the Ozarks. Data from the county coroner for the last few years suggests meth is more deadly than ever before. You wake up and your primary mission of the day is find that way to get high. Tapia was also delivering 10 pounds of meth worth tens of thousands of dollars every two weeks to one of the biggest meth rings ever to plague southwest Missouri. A lock ( The only person who didn't plead guilty was Robert A. Edson, who has eluded capture for years. But back at her house in Republic, feds found$20,000 in cash, more than 5 pounds of meth, and a loaded handgun in a nightstand drawer. Authorities charge 25 in Springfield drug bust Tuesday, July 12, 2005 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. There were 12,052 individuals who entered treatment for marijuana addiction. All calls are confidential. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy, including $2,200 seized by law enforcement from Glossons residence on March 7, 2019; $11,266 seized by law enforcement from a vehicle occupied by Dailey and Morgan on Nov. 14, 2019; $5,214 seized by law enforcement from Farisses hotel room on Nov. 14, 2019; and $4,400 belonging to Dailey, which was seized by law enforcement during the search of a residence on Nov. 27, 2019. Doctor Joseph Jones can spot someone overdosing on meth by their agitation, racing heart, and hallucinations. Carlos Tapia, a man they knew as a dedicated father with no criminal history, was a drug mule. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. His family and friends apparently couldn't believe it. Among the seizeddrugs were packages of narcotics labeled "Playboy" and "SpongeBob.". These figures can be verified by contacting the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 573-526-6305. In 2009, the Treatment Episode Data Set indicated that 48,628 people entered drug and alcohol rehabs in Missouri. Sgt. SALINE COUNTY, Mo. Marijuana was the most commonly cited drug of abuse in Missouri in 2007. A Drug Enforcement Agency spokesman told the News-Leader this summer the Ozarks has a reputation nationwide for meth,particularly the homemade variety. National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Springfield police ask for help to identify suspects after SUV hit a gas pump, Insect found outside Arkansas Walmart identified as Jurassic-era insect, Missouri State falls short in MVC quarterfinals against Southern Illinois, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard accident. Join Recovery Connection in celebrating your recovery with our sobriety calculator. COPS Special Edition Springfield, Missouri Drug Busts - YouTube 0:00 / 22:54 COPS Special Edition Springfield, Missouri Drug Busts SRL Images Channel 2.08K subscribers Subscribe. Springfield Police Lt. Lawrence Murphy credited Det. Police Sergeant Jason Grellner said, " She had $4,604 and only a small amount of meth. How Can a Florida Heroin Rehab Center Help Me? But the total weight of meth seized by Springfield investigatorsthis year is more than 10 times what they took off the streets in 2011. Other homes were raided over the next few days. Reece said LSD and ecstasy aren't the highest priorities for his investigators, simply because they don't see much of either drug. A locked padlock Overall, rates of heroin overdose have dramatically increased in certain counties with Missouri. Located in the heart of the Bible Belt, where Jesus is King and you can find a church on every corner, not too long ago, you could find a meth lab just as easily. They were like a vacuum, feds say, sucking up meth from St. Louis, Kansas Cityand Oklahoma, then dumping it on the Ozarks. Each of the six defendants were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and/or 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Greene County from Mar. Dan Banasik,a Missouri State Highway Patrol supervising sergeant for narcotics, was the lead investigator in 2011 when the feds took down a multi-pound cocaine distribution ring that was operating in Springfield and Nixa. In total over the last six years, the Springfield Police Department's investigative units seized 251,520 grams of marijuana, 81,713 grams of meth, 1,122 grams of cocaine, 4,751 grams of heroin . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 2023 www.news-leader.com. Thankful he lived to tell the story, the thought of rock bottom brings tears to Pickens eyes. -- 12 pounds of meth and 6.5 pounds of heroin, seized from a Springfield home. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. (WWLP) - Springfield Police have arrested two men and seized heroin, two rifles and more than $16,000 in cash Wednesday evening . Share . Kansas City, MO 64106, Telephone:(816) 426-3122 Investigators raided a Springfield home earlier this year expecting a big haul. There were 5,088 admissions for drug and alcohol treatment for amphetamine addiction in 2010. Jones describes death by meth as slow over time. . Gulluni, Captain [Brian] Keenan and all of our brave and dedicated 'men and women in blue' for their continued efforts to rid our streets of these 'poison individuals' and their 'poison products' and weapons. Last month, troopers made a similar bust near Cooper County, Missouri, recovering 75 pounds of meth. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Reece said heroin cases are a priority for his detectives in the special investigations sectionbecause the drug has reportedly been responsible for at least 21deaths in Greene County over the last two years. I remember being homeless on the streets of Branson, with nowhere to go, no one to turn to, just absolutely broken, Pickens said. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Other Opiates They know mine; I know theirs.. "The demand for our services has not decreased at all.". Of that number, 68.5 % were male and 31.5% were female. Banasik said since 2011 he hasn't noticed much cocaine in the local drug market. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. Ross and Cooper also are each charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County. The former church deacon who said he turned back to meth after his wife's death. Banasik told the News-Leader last yearthe Springfield market hadbeen inundated with high-grade marijuana from Colorado and other states where the drug is legal for recreational use. The officers repeatedly circled around the house, she said. - Just when you think police have the methamphetamine problem under control, it rears its ugly head. - Eleven residents in the Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Joseph, Missouri, areas have been added to a federal indictment that now charges a total of 25 defendants for their roles in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. 18-25 year olds were among the group most suffering from unmet treatment needs for alcohol dependency in 2006 and it ranked among the highest in the country for this demographic. CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. All six are now named in a 16-count superseding indictment, which includes additional charges, returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Springfield police say investigating the people who import and sell drugs in the city is a priority and it's something Reece said they are getting better at. ; David Robert Richards II, 32, of Louisburg, Kan.; Christian Douglas Hansen, 41, of St. Louis, Mo. That tan, single-story home was rented by Harmon, but shewasn't there the night of the Thanksgiving raid. There were 730 drug deaths related to drug use compared with 1,054 deaths from motor vehicle accidents and 759 deaths from firearm incidents in the same year. The only thing that connected them was meth. The investigation has led to four arrests: Springfield residents Hector Rodriguez, 42, and Luis Acevedo, 43, and Holyoke residents Emmanuel Hernandez, 30, and Nellys Garcia, 32. . The raid stemmed from a two month investigation of an alleged "stash house" for a Holyoke-based drug ring at 1251 Bay Street in Springfield, police said. Eleven residents in the Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Joseph, Missouri, areas have been added to a federal indictment that now charges a total of 25 defendants for their roles in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. "Our meth has stayed pretty stable," Reece said. Heroin According to a news report on 9/01/11, the Madison County State Attorney stated that heroin related crimes had increased between 30-40%, with heroin deaths twice the number of that in 2010. On the county level, the number of busts and seizures decreases from nearly 200 to just three. Ortega allegedly was also in possession of a Ruger .22-caliber rifle, two Marlin .22-caliber rifles, and two Browning .22-caliber pistols on June 21, 2019. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( In 2010, 4,341 people were admitted to addiction treatment facilities for heroin addiction. "We get the occasional hit on those," Reece said. 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Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Call Recovery Connection now 866.812.8231 and let one of our trained coordinators help you find the appropriate treatment facility. A federal. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. That year, the Greene County coroner recorded 7 deaths from the drug. While many Americans were putting turkeys in ovens, watching football in the living room, or driving to their grandmothers' houses, officers were listening to the phone calls of Friend and Harmon. I came here and in my first shift I probably saw four or five patients acutely intoxicated on meth.. The second most commonly abused class of drugs were stimulants (including methamphetamine) for those who entered drug addiction treatment in 2007. Court documents note that. In 2012, about 24 percent of high school seniors reported they had used marijuana in the last month, that number dropped to 16 percent in 2014 and then moved to 22 percent this year. Glosson was allegedly in possession of a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Oct. 23, 2019. Addiction Recovery Resources. Faced with decades in federal prison, people started flipping. More: Meth ringthat plagued the Ozarks could cost taxpayers $11 million in prison. Noose also is charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine in Greene County and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hill is also charged with attempting to escape from the custody of a DEA agent after being arrested. Leath is also charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. KC Metro Strike Force Room 5510 One cousin remembered him as the man whodanced with all the ladies at a quinceaera. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Griffin, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Ruger .22-caliber pistol on Nov. 26, 2018. They, along with additional defendants Solomon Hodges, also known as Little Daddy, 60, and Cordaroe D. Sims, 33, all of Springfield, were charged in a 30-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. They just swarmed it, Flesch said. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriffs Department. -- Twenty-five people were charged Monday with taking part in a drug ring that allegedly trafficked more than . The estimated street value is $85,000. The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants, with the exception of Sparks, participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 21, 2020. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Ortega, Hicks, and Griffin would also be required to forfeit to the government a money judgment representing the proceeds obtained as a result of their participation in the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy. According to the indictment, Sparks was the principal leader of the criminal enterprise and obtained substantial income from the criminal enterprise. Rodriguez, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Taurus .410-caliber revolver on Jan. 4, 2019. In addition to the criminal conspiracy, Hicks is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. A locked padlock Charlie Romine is also a former addict. Largest Meth Bust in Missouri BootheelBy: CJ Cassidy. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. At their peak in the early 2000s, at-home meth labs in the Ozarks became synonymous with the local area code, 417. More guns and more meth were found. Meth ringthat plagued the Ozarks could cost taxpayers $11 million in prison. Once the cases are resolved, a judgewill issuea destruction order,and Springfield police have the drugs incinerated. What do the orange, green dots on my iPhone mean? He said the reason investigators are seizing more of the drug is because the current system of dealers bringing meth in from out of state lends itself to multi-pound seizures, like the one on Feb. 29. There were 16 law enforcement task forces in 2007 to work in the areas of Missouri with the biggest threat of drug trafficking, sales, and use. MSHP says the drug bust happened. Additionally, Hodges is charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Morgan is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Drug traffickers allegedly kept narcotics and money at the Springfield house, with high level dealers using the house to pick up drugs for distribution, authorities said. 27, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019. Two additional defendants were charged in one of the two separate, but related, superseding indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb. 18, for a total of 21 defendants in those two cases. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Acevedo, Rodriguez and Hernandez are all charged with trafficking more than 200 grams of heroin and cocaine, eight counts of illegal firearm possession, possession of ammunition without an FID card, larceny of a firearm and improper storage of a firearm.