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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Information entered into this system will be submitted to the Washington County Narcotics Task Force only. Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Md. This is across the boardand Ill be the first to agree that attitudes are changing because more white people are dyingthats totally fair. The loot was wrapped in bundles. Hagerstown built automobiles, bottled Coca-Cola, made shoes, clothing, furniture, and Breyers ice cream, and was the worlds largest manufacturer of pipe organs. This place is a blessing. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of heroin. She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. Theyll deliver. osh Morningstar could be the poster boy for the use of prescription opioids gone awry. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. Hagerstown is still a meat and potatoes kind of place, says Elliott. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. 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. Three people were taken into custody in Washington County last week on drug charges involving fentanyl and crack cocaine. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Michael Anthony Holland, 36, of Hurlock, Maryland. E, all face drug charges, according to Kerns and online court records. In 2019, there were 119 non-fatal and 24 fatal overdoses reported in Allegany County. Those kind of manufacturing jobs generally pulled up stakes for cheaper labor in the South or overseas, a trend that has continued. Beckette also was charged with possession of a large amount of heroin (more than 28 grams); possession of a firearm in relationship to a drug-trafficking crime; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and theft of less than $1,000 in value, according to Kerns and online court records. The guilty plea was announced by Jarod Forget,Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)'s Washington Division; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. I fully bought into the War on Drugs and what Reagan was doing, he says. Whether these efforts, which remain largely public investmentschools, libraries, parkscan spark enough commercial interest to compete with the Valley Mall, the two Walmart Supercenters, and the Premium Outlets remains to be determined. That investigation led to the Narcotics Task Force obtaining 9 search warrants. . As the former Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts for Washington County Public Schools, Rob Hovermale was involved in conversations as early as 2000 about opening a public arts high school in Hagerstowntalks that were largely dismissed at the time. -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. After the public schools and hospital, the largest employers in Washington County today are the sprawling Citi and First Data call centers. HAGERSTOWN, Md. 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. Hagerstown Center Of Alleged Drug Conspiracy, Prosecutors Say Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug. Ive seen growth in investor confidence, says Director of Community & Economic Development Jill Frick Thompson, attributing it to the citys 10-year plan. 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. But he moved his family to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, leaving Hagerstown behind. Daily, he watches people, mostly in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, selling and scoring drugs in the citys central parking lot behind the gallery. Its a phone call away. But how many people do you know that have been attacked by a terrorist? When you cant find work, cant pay your billswho wants to think about that? For a century, Hagerstown had been the dominant city, and Frederick a little cow town. Others arrive in pajamas and sweatpants, barely awake, clutching telltale lockboxes for take-home doses. , 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. Contact WCNTF if you have information on these persons (301) 791-3205, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of wanted persons). 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. 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. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Spain is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888. At Meritus Medical Center outside of downtown Hagerstown, nearly three children a week are born addicted to opioids. Prosecutors allege that Luna Mota, the owner of Top 3 Sources, was using the West Washington Street store to keep and sell drugs. 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. 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. Methadone, he argues, is a drug just like heroin. He found an opiate specialist doctor and took Suboxone for about a year, then safely weaned off. Situated near the Potomac River and what was once Western Maryland and West Virginia coal country, Hagerstown served as a vital gateway to the fertile Midwest. A local taxi company sporadically drops people off. Its true that from the outside, the county seat of some 40,000 people still looks a bit like Mayberry, with its turn-of-the-century architecture, elegant City Park, church spires, tidy sidewalks, and walkable streets. On Monday, task force agents said they found Oliver with a significant amount of heroin. 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. Christine Jenkins, one count of distribution of heroin. All Rights Reserved. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. TTY users may call any government office through the Maryland Relay Service 1-800-735-2258, Drug Activity Phone Tip Line 301-223-2632. Andrew Clopper, one count of distribution of heroin. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. All rights reserved. Hitachi Rail Factory "on track" in Hagerstown. February 21, 2023. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard;U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and U.S. attorney's offices in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Margerette Derosiers, 28, of Federalsburg, Maryland. 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. These included the creation of a multi-jurisdictional Maryland State Police Heroin Investigation Unit to focus on mid-to-upper-level heroin and opioid distribution operations. 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. 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. She discusses plans for the rollout of a new awareness program, Washington Goes Purple, a symbolic color adopted by opioid prevention advocates, geared toward steering youth away from substance abuse. William Miller, one count of distribution of heroin. Robison. Its like watching a slow train crash coming that you dont know how to stop.. As a result of those search warrants, police recovered over 18 kilograms of cocaine, 2.7 kilograms of heroin/fentanyl, 5.9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 170 pounds of marijuana and approximately 34 firearms along with money believed to be connected to the drug operation. Washington Daily Voice serves the towns of: Boonsboro, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Hagerstown, Halfway, Maugansville, Paramount-Long Meadow, Robinwood, Smithsburg. A release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office revealed the following: One of the biggest mistakes city officials made was failing to sufficiantly upgrade Municipal Stadium, the nearly 90-year-old home of the minor league Hagerstown Suns, or build a new ballpark downtown. October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Magnitude 2.0 earthquake reaches Montgomery County, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? Instead, he sought help by way of Suboxone (the commercial name for a combination of buprenorphineand naloxone), which he considers a miracle. icki Sterling, director of the Washington County Health Departments Division of Behavorial Health Services, says the turning point for the county in addressing the opioid epidemic was the death of former Hagerstown police sergeant Kevin Simmers daughter, Brooke, who overdosed on heroin 10 days after she had been released from a four-month prison stay. Additionally, in Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Williams is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. Economists studying national trends say people should simply vacate towns like Hagerstownand seek work elsewhere. We need to maintain a sense of hope. The Washington Narcotics Task Force has made 11 arrests in connection to a local drug trafficking organization investigation. Police seized more than 80 pounds of meth, 200 bags of fentanyl, more than two dozen guns and $135,000 in cash in a massive drug bust in Montgomery County. 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. 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. A list of the indicted individuals is available on the U.S. Department of Justice website. (In 2007, three Purdue executives pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the misbranding of OxyContin and paid $34.5 million in fines, while the company agreed to pay $600 million to resolve a Department of Justice investigation.) Washington street leading east at the hagerstown public square in 1957. "The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive.". Woolford is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. This pooling of investigative resources benefits each investigative unit with increased manpower, less duplication of effort, and by coordinating the targeting of drug offenders. 544,514 views Jun 30, 2016 $24 million dollars was found stuffed in the wall of a home in what's being called one police department's biggest cash seizure to date. People often use the term self-medicating to describe why people use drugs or alcohol, says Ron Zuskin, a licensed clinical social worker and former University of Maryland faculty member who has worked in Western Maryland. Stephen McCormick, two counts of distribution of cocaine. While the most pressing question confronting Hagerstownand other resource-deprived towns in Maryland such as Frostburg, Cumberland, Cambridge, Snow Hill, Elkton, and Edgewoodmay be how to get immediate help to those struggling with addiction, the broader question is more vexing: How does an isolated, blue-collar town recover from the worst drug epidemic in U.S. historyon top of45 years of deindustrialization? So far in 2020, the rate of overdoses in the county has increased with 83 non-fatal . Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Nine arrested in early morning drug bust in Westernport. nyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing, Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? A block away, two restaurants that would become staplesJone and Don Bowmans Bulls and Bears and E. Jay Zuspan IIIs 28 Southsoon opened. 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. Nicholas Silverman, 20, Bronson Benjamin,33, both of Hagerstown, and Farrah Wisner, 19, of Baltimore were arrested and charged with possession. We get to engage and feel like were being a positive influence on the city.. Hagerstown, Md. 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 . A sitting train and truck behind a lot along West Franklin Street. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. President Donald Trump spoke to a packed hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport during his campaign in 2016 and won the county vote by a 2-1 margin. Herman Mills, a Republican mayor from 1965-1973 who owned several gas stations and stores, was a sort of kingpin of the local ruling class, as Elliott puts itand the last in a long line of businessmen and factory owners investing in Hagerstown. The epidemic has not peaked yet by any means, says Mike Piercy, director of the Washington County Department of Social Services. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. On February 19, city health officials reported the number of heroin overdoses to which EMS crews and city police responded to. All it takes is a little fentanylor a microgram of carfentanyl, which is 100 times more potent. Dwayne Unglebower, four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. 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"If they just had a pipefine . Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. This was a normal kid, the daughter of a respected ex-city cop. After being arrested on July 1, police said Oliver assaulted an officer and was found with a controlled dangerous substance. Tyler and Eddie Ware pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 28, 2020, and January 11, 2021; respectively. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. A dog tied up behind Byers Market on North Burhans Boulevard. A Hagerstown pawn shop. But today, while Frederick, just 25 miles east down I-70, is regularly named among the best places to live in the U.S., Hagerstown more closely resembles a microcosm of Baltimoreessentially a small town with big-city problems, continually in survival mode. The homes that were searched were in Preston, Hurlock, Federalsburg, Lanham and Crofton. The task force was assisted by the Washington County Special Response Team and the Hagerstown regional office of the Drug Enforcement Agency, according to an email from Kerns. The crisis, he says, is driving a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, a bellwether for other social problems. 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Or an illegal immigrant? 3, in Hagerstowns North End; and Daniel Matthew Anderson, 28, of 1008 Security Road, Apt. With the highways and economic factors, its all a perfect storm.. According to Bernard, those charged are: Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as "Papi," 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Dominican Republic A handful, with newer haircuts and cars, might be professionalssomewhere in this politically conservative county. Justin Ernest Riggs, 33, was arrested Saturday and is accused of leaking information to a drug trafficking organization . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. in Hagerstowns North End, according to Lt. Todd Kerns, who served as the task forces director in 2013. The following agencies maintain drop boxes to drop off your not-needed prescription medication. The first indictment names 25 defendants accused in one or more of the drug conspiracies. Photography by Benjamin C. Tankersley | July 2018. the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. 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. 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. He is being held at Eastern Regional Jail in Berkeley County, W.Va. Federal authorities allege the drug ring involved millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, distributing large amounts. George Wallace campaigned here in 1968 and 1972. Smith accessed the storage unit on 39 separate occasions and obtained at least 250 grams of narcotics during his visits. Jim Robison, Director for the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. Having beautiful open spaces is important, and its important to have a connection to your community, says city engineer Rodney Tissue, who moved to Hagerstown in 1986 and raised his two daughters here. 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. Grant was being held without bond Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center. For the lions share, howevera nearly all-white mix of solitary adults, young and middle-aged couples, teenagers, and parents dragging along childrenit looks like life has been a struggle for a while. 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. Perhaps as many as three-quarters of those in local methadone programs, according to recovering addicts interviewed for this story, still get high, using coke, crack, ecstasy, Spice, or benzos like Xanax, which are particularly dangerous in combination with methadone.