He pleaded guilty in May 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2022, to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Alcoholism Information & Treatment Centers, Physicians & Surgeons, Addiction Medicine, I need a place for a person coming out of prison to go to when he get, How to open up a halfway recovery house for alcohol and drugs. After the trooper arrested him, Maldonado agreed to speak to a DEA agent. Vandergrift police Officer Nate Rigatti said he, Westmoreland County Detective John Clark and state parole agent Patty Joe Misho were going to Moore's house to serve a search warrant just after 4. I saw him coming up super fast behind me, so I flashed the guy with a stream light flashlight and badged him, he recalled. If we can knock those dealers down, seize their dope and assets and put them out of business, its a twofold feather in our cap.. The backlog grew so quickly that it soon was taking the office 250 days merely to begin processing a claim. Not surprisingly, the two largest law enforcement agencies have been the greatest beneficiaries: The LAPD has received about $18 million and has claims pending for another $24 million, a spokesman said; the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reports receipts of $13 million--$3.5 million in one record check presented last week--and is expecting another $21 million. Both of the charges Jimenez-Cuna pleaded guilty to carry a maximum of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, though prosecutors agreed as part of her plea deal to recommend she be sentenced on the low end of the guidelines. The trooper scanned the inside of Maldonados car and noticed that it was empty except for a couple of energy drinks, some gas station snack foods and a blanket on the back seat. The trooper stopped the car and noticed the driver was exceptionally nervous.. Attorneys for people who have had property seized argue that the law erodes basic rights. SANTA ANA, Calif. - The Orange County District Attorney's Office has filed felony charges against two Buena Park drug dealers in the largest drug bust in Orange County in 16 years, recovering enough fentanyl from inside a minivan to kill 4.7 million people. Read more: These tips will help you score the perfect beans to brew at home, Nature-curious? We are here 24/7 for any questions you may have. We had been working the principal violator for six weeks, we had the search warrant in hand and we knew everything there was to know about the violator, Marsden said. Felicia "Fela" Nicole Mingura, of Salt Lake City, was charged with three counts of drug distribution and pleaded guilty to one of them in November 2022. Prosecutors dismissed five charges when Lucero pleaded guilty in March 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder money. Warmer storms could cause problems, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Prosecutors dismissed a third charge in exchange. Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) - A four-year investigation by state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies culminated in a series of raids at 23 properties to bust a drug trafficking ring led by . Her sentencing is scheduled for March 22. Maldonado has two Facebook accounts but rarely posts. Its like converting all of our police officers into bounty hunters.. Of the remaining 11 defendants, five are scheduled for sentencing; one is expected to take a plea deal; one is scheduled for trial; and four have cases pending at various points in the legal system. Drug Abuse & Addiction Centers (559) 825-8288. Information provided here is no substitute for professional care. In practice, most drug suspects decide not to go through the rigorous and sometimes self-incriminating hearing process. It was a curious turn of phrase given what had happened just after the record fentanyl seizure a stunning blunder that went unmentioned during the July 6 news conference. Seizures by Glendales 3-year-old detail have bought the 182-officer department infrared night-vision goggles for helicopter pilots as well as a high-tech laser device that can read nearly invisible fingerprints, Lt. Mike Post said. We will do our best to discover who they are and take them down as well.. Federal authorities were unprepared for the flood of claims that the 1984 law brought in, according to Brad Cates, director of the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Office in Washington. The Burbank Police Department bought its first helicopter thanks to drug dealers. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? Although he supports the gist of the forfeiture law, Uelman says the seized money should go to the U.S. Treasury. * Figures for all states cover only cash and property returned to police departments under the federal asset forfeiture law. Federal drug agents and prosecutors in Colorado held a news conference in July to tout their work taking fentanyl off the streets amid a string of highly publicized overdose deaths. ARKANSAS, USA Arkansas authorities have completed a drug bust that resulted in more than $55 million in various drugs, 1,200 different arrests, and the recovery of hundreds of firearms.. Spawned by federal legislation that allows local law enforcement agencies to claim assets they seize from criminals, nearly a dozen departments have created squads of up to eight officers who specialize in high-stakes drug investigations, often well beyond their communities boundaries. When he pulled them out, he made a staggering discovery: 48 packages of fentanyl powder. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Aldi announces closing, opening dates for Lower Burrell, New Kensington stores, Report: Arconic in talks about potential sale, Suspect charged with threatening to kill New Kensington victims if they testified against him, On one of region's steepest roads, Aspinwall's Run for the Hill of It benefits emergency services, Long-lost ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. By Tyisha Fernandes, WSB-TV July 11, 2020 at 8:44 am EDT. Speak to a recovery counselor 24 hours a day about treatment options. By February, he was dealing guns, officials said. Stephanie Gosk is an NBC News correspondent based in New York City. Maldonado claimed he wasnt nervous; he just had to go to the bathroom really bad. He initially refused to allow the trooper to search his car but then relented because he wanted to get back on the road, the court document says. We've received your submission. If were in a quiet neighborhood . Moore attempted to run but was quickly subdued, according to Rigatti. Daniel Maestas, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced on July 15, 2022, to 12 years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Copyright Rehab List 2023. His sentencing is scheduled for May 31. Rich Schapiro is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. The crooks are getting smarter.. His federal sentence is running concurrent to three state sentences. First-person perspectives from traffickers, dealers, users, law enforcement and medical professionals detail how the drugs are processed and moved onto the streets, and the effects they have on the. What good is it to be born here if my loved ones cant be here? You are not alone in this process, and admitting yourself into rehab is the first step to recovery. Using information from RehabList.org to diagnose health issues or diseases is not advised. Women seeking rehabilitation in a female environment may be interested in women-only rehab centers in Vandergrift, PA. The cocaine was being transported into Brandon from Ontario and British Columbia, according to police. In effect, youre punishing the person first and having the trial afterward, said Joel Maliniak, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. Garcia was sentenced on May 10, 2022, to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. Suboxone clinic. But after this story was published, a DEA official confirmed the seizure of 114 pounds of fentanyl. If the property or cash is worth less than $100,000 and no one claims it, it can be distributed to the seizing agency without a hearing. Prosecutors again dropped one charge when he pleaded guilty to the other in May 2022. http://www.wtae.com/news/Tip-to-police-leads-to-Westmoreland-County-drug-bust/38493052 WTAE report on Vandergrift man busted with 3 bricks of black powder heroin. Vandergrift Borough Police Officer Nate Rigatti estimated the street value of the drugs at $15,000. We have comprised a list of nearby rehab centers in Vandergrift, including details, in order to make the decision towards a center that will benefit you. He described it as the largest fentanyl bust on a U.S. highway in history. Most of the roving units also keep an eye on local street dealers; only the Glendale and West Covina police departments have totally freed their specialized teams from that duty. DEA was working with us and they made a deal with the driver, Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. Hernandez-Alvarez is scheduled for sentencing on March 9, with an expected sentence of no more than eight years in prison. Under the new rules, police need merely show in a civil procedure in federal court that the seized cash or property was derived from crime--with a standard of proof that can be met even in the absence of an arrest. MacBeth says police expect another group to take over the operation. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed two additional drug distribution charges. A spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, which made the initial discovery of the fentanyl, provided a blunt account of the botched operation. Drug Bust; First published on November 11, 2021 / 11:37 AM The Crossroads team is ready to help you start on your path to recovery from substance-use disorders. He ran on them after they worked the case, and that was their debacle.. Suriel and the Cruz co-rep made their first sale to an undercover cop in October 2021. - 118 Miles Away. Most of the defendants were arrested in a coordinated law enforcement sweep in November . Then a key suspect slipped away. Soon after, Brea officials doubled the size of their roving drug task force. Rehab can be an entirely new experience. Prosecutors dropped five charges when he pleaded guilty in March 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to launder money. In August 2013, he was pulled over by police who allegedly found a marijuana pipe in his car as well as a handgun wrapped in a pillowcase, according to a report in The Muscatine Journal in Iowa. So, after paying their details annual operating costs--in Glendales case, three years into the future--California police departments similarly have gone after various items on their wish lists, buying high-tech equipment for their drug details and boosting crime-fighting capabilities in ways never before affordable. In Northern California, by contrast, most police departments have opted for a task force approach to major drug investigations, with each department in a county contributing one or two officers, said Tom Gorman, assistant chief for the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement in Sacramento. We show up crawling through the bushes and theyre there scratching their heads not knowing whether were cops or crooks, he said. 200 Oak Avenue Kittanning, PA 16201. 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