3, in Hagerstowns North End; and Daniel Matthew Anderson, 28, of 1008 Security Road, Apt. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. In addition to Mota, the news release listed those indicted in connection with the alleged operation as: All but 11 of the defendants had been arrested as of Wednesday. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown toBerkeley County, West Virginia, between August2020and June of this year, according to a news release from Bernard's office. Shortly after Grant was taken into custody, the task force executed a search-and-seizure warrant at 807 Hamilton Blvd., Kerns said. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force recovered approximately 188 grams of suspected heroin and 95 grams of suspected methamphetamine Monday from 807 Hamilton Blvd. Stay up to date with the latest community news written by award-winning editors and local reporters. He was taken into custody Tuesday at his Security Road home, Kerns said. 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. The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. The narcotics task force is a joint operation of the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the Hagerstown Police Department. 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. Conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics. I was on the other side, and I get it, and people have every right to make that point.. A list of the indicted individuals is available on the U.S. Department of Justice website. The NFT is housed within the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)at the DEAs Hagerstown Office. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. 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. It is alleged that Luna Mota, the owner of Top 3 Sources, a business in Hagerstown, Maryland, was using his business on West Washington Street for the purpose of having and selling controlled substances. Some of them were done outside, some were done in the apartments, numerous kids were in the area playing, numerous people out and about, said Sgt. 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. In truth, Hagerstown has a higher poverty rate than Baltimore City, a higher percentage of people under 65 with a disability, lower home-ownership rates, and a lower percentage of its workforce with college degrees. 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. Three Hagerstown residents face drug charges after suspected heroin and suspected methamphetamine with a street value of approximately $50,000 was seized along with $9,000 in cash and several. 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. Jazzmen Vaughn, one count distribution of heroin and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. 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. He liked the feeling the Vicodin gave him and began to sometimes take the pills just for that hydrocodone buzz. Baltimore, Maryland Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. You can imagine as a police officer and a father how I felt, Simmers says. She can be reached via email at julieg@herald-mail.com. 6:15 AM. Lock Law enforcement determined that the reported vehicle was registered to Smith and that the unit had been rented to Smith under a fraudulent New York State drivers license that bore Smiths photograph and the alias Michael Silver. Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888. The steel tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad started carrying locomotives from Baltimore in the same direction, straight through the heart of Hagerstown, two years after the end of the Civil War. Woolford is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. For the past 44 years, since Valley Mall was built on the outskirts of town, shuttering the department stores, retail shops, restaurants, theaters, and five and dimes, there have been hopes of reviving Hagerstowns once-thriving city center. The first search was in the 500 block of Lynnehaven Drive in Hagerstown. Men outside a Hammond Street garage. Since the start of the addiction crisis, which now kills more in the U.S. than car accidents and gun violence combined, emergency rescue calls have tripled in Hagerstown. Instead, he sought help by way of Suboxone (the commercial name for a combination of buprenorphineand naloxone), which he considers a miracle. You have permission to edit this article. Breezy Jill Beckette, 22, of 807 Hamilton Blvd. 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. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorneys Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. 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. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. In recent decades, theyve swapped roles. Travon Bristol, two counts possession with intent to distribute spice aka K-2 and one count of maintaining a common Nuisance. William Miller, one count of distribution of heroin. Kevin Simmers relished locking up drug users, no matter how little crack they had on them. Information entered into this system will be submitted to the Washington County Narcotics Task Force only. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. She also cites the new safe needle program implemented by the county health departmentalbeit over the objection of a couple of state delegatesto combat Hepatitis C and HIV infections. 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. 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. "If they just had a pipefine," he said. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. Hagerstown, Md. 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. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. He couldnt hold down a job for more than a month or two, he says, and bounced around from one employer to the next: cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, waiting tables, making pizza. HAGERSTOWN, Md. 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. Call (240) 382-2757 or get your auth barcode quickly online. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. (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.). Its a phone call away. Miguel Angel Santiago Caraballo, 30, of Chambersburg, Pa. 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. Life is great now, he 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. Hagerstown, MD 2 days ago. Local Hagerstown, MD. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged 12 people in a drug bust Wednesday. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. 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. According to his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, law enforcement received an anonymous tip from a Hagerstown, Maryland storage facility customer reporting that an individual driving a large SUV and a storage unit conducted a suspected drug deal at the facility. The bust began in the late afternoon Monday as Grant was contacted to do a deal involving an informant, and was taken into custody inside the Sheetz on Potomac Avenue, Kerns said. The 16-bed treatment project for women is partly to honor their daughter, who once shared her wish of getting off drugs and opening such a center with her parents, but it is also borne of frustration, as the family repeatedly struggled to get the help their daughter needed. Additionally, in less than one month, Smith and Tyler contacted each other 714 times by cell phone. a shuttered barber shop on Jonathan Street. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. Kevin Simmers, a retired Hagerstown police officer, lost his 19-year-old daughter to an overdose and is now building a womens recovery center, Brookes House. 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740. U.S. Attorney's Office December 21, 2012. 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. We need to maintain a sense of hope. The crisis, he says, is driving a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, a bellwether for other social problems. By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca Photography by BENJAMIN C. TANKERSLEY | July 2018, By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca. 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. Hes married with children and living his dream of being a full-time musician, touring his original folk-country songs across the U.S. And for the past two-and-a-half decades, the city has taken a public health approach to addiction, offering methadone programs, needle exchanges, HIV testing, and inpatient treatment opportunities before the pharmaceutical industry dumped OxyContin and other opioids onto a nave market. 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. 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. Three people were taken into custody in Washington County last week on drug charges involving fentanyl and crack cocaine. 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. On February 19, city health officials reported the number of heroin overdoses to which EMS crews and city police responded to. She mentions the increased training for Narcan, a medication that can prevent fatal overdoses, across the city. Two drug busts were done on Wednesday after a three month investigation discovered a drug trafficking organization in the area. Gregory Lovern Williams Jr., 39, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Drugs, money, weapons confiscated during an operation last week in Hagerstown. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. 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. Thats a lot of drugs, Kerns said Wednesday in a phone interview. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force received assistance from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Hagerstown Police . The first indictment names 25 defendants accused in one or more of the drug conspiracies. She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. The task force said Oliver was previously arrested by Hagerstown Police Department officers last Wednesday for fleeing on foot from a car accident in the south end of Hagerstown. The City Council will likely be forced to raise property taxes again this year. . 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. A locked padlock NEWARK, NJTwo members of an alleged drug trafficking ring based . Though extreme, the transition seemed gradual. Andrew Clopper, one count of distribution of heroin. (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. Michael Anthony Holland, 36, of Hurlock, Maryland. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. George Alfred Butler, 56, of Federalsburg, Maryland. I was gonna overdose and kill myself.. Ive been a right-wing Republican all my life, Simmers says. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the area this year than the last 5 years combined. The two have been charged in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy in the Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. The seized drugs have a street value of approximately $471,000, according to prosecutors. 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. A block away, two restaurants that would become staplesJone and Don Bowmans Bulls and Bears and E. Jay Zuspan IIIs 28 Southsoon opened. 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. 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. The mayor and City Council at the time didnt want it. But the current economic picture in Hagerstown stands in stark contrast to the days when it earned its Hub City nicknamewhen five major passenger and freight lines merged here in a way that resembled the spokes of a wheel. Thats how strong the grip of this addiction is.. It's hard to imagine Hagerstown and similar cities receiving restitution anywhere near the true cost of the opioid epidemic and officials acknowledge that. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Simms is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. Low 33F. 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.