Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 Saul Ochoa arrested on charges stemming from possession and distribution of marijuana

Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 Saul Ochoa was arrested Wednesday morning by the FBI on charges stemming from possession and distribution of marijuana, according to federal court documents.FBI spokesman Jorge Cisneros confirmed that Ochoa had been arrested and referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas, who could not be immediately reached for comment.An indictment filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas charges Ochoa with four counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana in incidents over the past three weeks.Each count carries a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine upon conviction. Ochoa's arrest is the result of the joint investigative efforts of the DEA, FBI and the Port Isabel Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody Young.Cisneros would not say where Ochoa was arrested or where he was being detained.His brother is Justice of the Peace Benny Ochoa III of Port Isabel and his cousin is Port Isabel Police Chief Joel Ochoa.Ochoa, who did not face a challenger in the March Democratic primaries, garnered 2,206 votes.

Kenneth Bauer plead guilty to illegal manufacturing of drugs, theft of anhydrous ammonia and breaking and entering

Kenneth Bauer, 61, was scheduled to go to trial today but as part of a plea agreement with the prosecution, he decided to plead guilty to illegal manufacturing of drugs, theft of anhydrous ammonia and breaking and entering. The maximum sentence Bauer could have received if he was found guilty at trial was 11 years in prison, according to Judge Steven Beathard.On Feb. 23, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received information about people trespassing at Crop Production Services, 4111 McKillip Road, and deputies located a suspicious vehicle in the area, according to reports. The driver of the vehicle was Bauer, who was reportedly driving under suspension.Bauer was arrested and transported to the sheriff’s office.Deputies checked the business and found evidence of the theft of anhydrous ammonia and also found two sets of footprints in the snow leading away from the rear of the business around the location of the anhydrous ammonia.Deputies followed the tracks and after a lengthy search, a man identified as Thomas D. Woods, 27, of Williamsburg, was located near Hidy Road, according to reports. The search continued with the second set of tracks and a third suspect, identified as Clifford Lee, was located hiding inside of a shed on a local farm.Both Woods and Lee were taken into custody and taken to the sheriff’s office. During interviews with the men, they reportedly admitted their intentions and involvement in the theft of the anhydrous ammonia. Lee and Woods both pleaded guilty to the same charges; Lee was sentenced to four years in prison and Woods was sentenced to three years in prison, both agreed sentences.
Bauer has a previous illegal manufacturing of drugs conviction in another county. Judge Beathard also suspended Bauer’s driver’s license for six months.

Alice English 16 years as a prison guard conviction for smuggling drugs and other contraband into Bordeaux jail

Alice English provided "a complete confession," the judge concluded: "It was clear and deliberate, fluid and unrehearsed. It was replete with factual details that were provided spontaneously and without suggestion or prodding.She appears destined to get a lengthy taste of life on the wrong side of the bars.She was hustled into custody and off to Maison Tanguay, the women's prison in Ahuntsic, yesterday, where the Verdun resident will await sentencing following her conviction for smuggling drugs and other contraband into Bordeaux jail in 2005.Her payoff, thus far, for carrying out the smuggling includes $1,000 cash and dismissal from the Quebec prison service.
At a morning hearing yesterday, Quebec Court Judge Patrick Healy found English guilty on five counts - four of trafficking in drugs plus one of conspiracy to traffic.She faces potential jail time of 10 to 14 years.English, 55, is a mother of four and a grandmother of 12. Her defence lawyer, Tom Pentefountas, said she has health problems. English has spent relatively little time in a cell; she was freed on $1,000 bail 10 days after she was arrested.The judge will hear pre-sentencing arguments June 5."These are very serious charges, and we now have convictions," the judge said before he ordered English taken back into custody.Evidence showed that while on sick leave, about 5 a.m. on July 7, 2005, English carried coffee cans into Bordeaux containing 110 rocks of crack cocaine, weighing 38.5 grams, 2.8 kilograms of marijuana, 1.1 kilos of hashish, one gram of cocaine, pornographic magazines and five cellphones with batteries.She placed the contraband in a garbage bin, where it was discovered about 6:30 a.m.Sgt. Patrice Lefebvre of the Sûreté du Québec pegged the value of the drugs, once in prisoners' hands, at $257,500. Under questioning by prosecutor Mario Dufresne, Lefebvre told Healy that drugs are worth "four or five times more" inside the prison than on the street.Healy dismissed as "self-contradictory" court testimony English gave in February. He accepted without argument an earlier confession by English videotaped by investigators during which, he noted, the accused appeared relaxed and even joked.

Gregory Abbott veteran history teacher was arrested at Sunny Hills High School on suspicion of drugs and weapons violations

Gregory Abbott, 31, of Placentia has taught history at the school for seven years, police said in a statement. He was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing a weapon on a school campus and possessing narcotics for sale. Police said they made the arrest after receiving an anonymous phone tip that he was selling drugs.The caller contacted police at about 10 a.m. Tuesday to report that he had purchased drugs from a teacher at the high school named Abbott who kept a gun in his car,police said.A school police officer then contacted administrators at the high school, reached Abbott in his classroom and got permission to search his car. Inside, they found the shotgun, some prescription drugs and marijuana packaged for sale, police said.Abbott was then arrested without incident.He was being held this morning at Fullerton City Jail on $25,000 bail, police said.
Gregory Abbott, 31, of Placentia, was booked at the Fullerton city jail on suspicion of possession of a weapon on a school campus and possession of narcotics for sale. He posted bail of $25,000 and was released.veteran history teacher was arrested at Sunny Hills High School on suspicion of drugs and weapons violations Tuesday after police found an unloaded shotgun and a significant amount of marijuana in his vehicle in a school parking lot. The arrest came after an anonymous tip from a 911 caller who claimed to have bought drugs from the teacher.
Abbott has taught history at Sunny Hills for the past seven years, according to authorities. Abbott also previously coached cross country, and track and field at the school before being removed from the coaching staff by school officials.
An anonymous call to 911 just before 10 a.m. Tuesday touched off the investigation into drugs and guns. The caller said "he had purchased drugs from a person he believed to be a teacher at Sunny Hills," said Fullerton police Sgt. Mike MacDonald. "The caller also said the person, who he identified as Abbott, had a weapon in his vehicle."Confronted in his classroom by the police high school resource officer, Abbott consented to have his vehicle searched, MacDonald said.
Along with the shotgun, the officer found marijuana and prescription drugs packaged and ready to be sold, MacDonald said.Tuesday's arrest isn't the first time Abbott has found himself in the middle of a controversy at Sunny Hills. The school's boys and girls cross country teams lost their chance at Southern Section cross country championships last year after they were excluded from postseason activity because of an illegal practice held on the Mount San Antonio College course. Abbott was the head coach. Mount SAC, the host site of the cross country preliminaries and the finals, had already been closed to practices when the teams practiced there anyway. When school officials found out, they reported the situation to the Southern Section office.Several parents accused Abbott of orchestrating the unauthorized practice, even instructing runners to dress incognito so that they would not be recognized as Sunny Hills athletes. School officials denied those charges. Abbott was later removed from his position as the head coach, but continued to teach history at Sunny Hills.

Angel Rivera charged with driving while under the influence, possession of heroin, possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia

A man who police said passed out behind the wheel at a local intersection last night was arrested on drug charges after 290 bags of heroin were found in the car.Police received a call about 11:30 p.m. about a driver who appeared to be passed out at the intersection of Tolland Turnpike and Adams Street. Officers found Angel Rivera, 59, of Sunrise Avenue in New Britain in the driver's seat, his head against the steering wheel and the car in drive.They woke him up and got the car to a safe location, where he failed a field sobriety test, police said. Officers found 290 bags of heroin in his glove box, they said; they also found $772.Rivera was charged with driving while under the influence, possession of heroin, possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia and other charges, he said.
Rivera was in custody on $100,000 bail this morning and was scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Manchester this afternoon.

Amy Gilbert was arrested at Gatwick Airport

Amy Gilbert, of Bellgreen Lane, was arrested at Gatwick Airport on Sunday (May 15).
UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers stopped her after she arrived on a flight from Brazil.Gilbert was charged with smuggling cocaine, worth an estimated £160,000, and appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court yesterday (May 19).She was remanded in custody and will appear before Mid Sussex magistrates on May 28

Martin Stephen Patience

Martin Stephen Patience, of Oldstead, Crown Woood, admitted trying to smuggle 7.35kgs of cocaine when he was stopped by customs officers at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 on February 20 this year after travelling from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court last Friday

Elisa Vazquez Sanchez sentenced to 9 1/2 years

Elisa Vazquez Sanchez was accompanied by a 13-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl when she was stopped at London's Heathrow Airport on her way from Mexico on March 11, the agency said in a statement.A Mexican housewife was sentenced to more than nine years in jail after she pleaded guilty to using two children to smuggle cocaine into Britain, the customs agency said Friday.Officials at the airport found about 20 pounds of cocaine taped to the children's bodies.The agency said Judge Jonathan Lowen at London's Isleworth Crown Court sentenced Sanchez, 40, to 9 1/2 years of prison Thursday.Sanchez's relationship to the children, who are Mexican residents, was not disclosed. The kids are now in the care of social services.

Leebert Ramcharan White House-designated Drug Kingpin, was sentenced today

Leebert Ramcharan, a U.S. White House-designated Drug Kingpin, was sentenced today by U.S. district Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz to 440 months’ imprisonment on his March 5, 2008 conviction on charges of conspiracy to import and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine.Ramcharan and co-defendant Williams, who was also convicted at trial, were arrested in the Montego Bay area of Jamaica in 2004, and extradited from Jamaica to the United States in 2007, after their extradition was approved by the Jamaican Supreme Court. According to the evidence presented at trial, defendant Ramcharan was the leader of a sophisticated cocaine smuggling operation in Jamaica. From 1998 through 2004, this drug organization received as much as fifteen (15) thousand kilograms of cocaine imported via go fast vessels from the Northern Coast of Colombia. The cocaine was then stored in Jamaica, and subsequently it was transported to the Bahamas on boats and airplanes. Ultimately, the cocaine was imported into the U.S. for distribution and sale in South Florida. Mr. Acosta commended the extraordinary cooperation of the Colombian National Police, the Jamaican Constabulary Force, the Royal Bahamian Police Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Jamaican Country Office, Bahamian Country Office and Bogota Country Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alicia Shick and Arthur Wyatt.

Allen Keith Greynolds,Michael Stephen Peck both arrested and charged with delivery

Allen Keith Greynolds, 53, of Carolina, was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine. Greynolds has yet to post bond and is still currently being housed in the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.
Michael Stephen Peck, 28, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with delivery of heroin. Peck was released on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond. Marion County Sheriff Junior Slaughter said he was not surprised that there have been recent arrests for delivery of crack cocaine in the area. He added that cocaine and marijuana have been an ongoing problem in the area for some time now.
“But it disturbs me that heroin is making its way into Marion,” Slaughter said. Six other Marion residents have also been arrested on drug charges recently. Melanie Ann Keener, 49, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Heather Ann Keener, 26, of Fairmont was arrested and charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. It is unknown if the two Keeners are related. Christopher Alan Spencer, 21, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, marijuana. Jimmy Lee Howard Jr., 38, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
Jennings Harold Frederick, 25, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance, marijuana. Richard Allen Floyd, 30, of Fairview, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Although the arrests were all made in the same time period, the cases are not necessarily related, Slaughter said.

Joshua T. Zinewicz charged with possession of heroin

Joshua T. Zinewicz, 26, of 15 Scotland Road was stopped in his green Ford Explorer on Town Street at Washington Street Extension Tuesday night.Police said heroin — 6,000 bags in all — was discovered in a hidden hydraulic compartment where the passenger side airbag would be. Police also seized $4,500 in cash and the Explorer. The heroin, police said, was portioned into 600 bundles and had a street value of between $60,000 and $120,000.Zinewicz was charged with possession of heroin and possession of more than one ounce of heroin with intent to sell. He was arraigned Wednesday in Norwich Superior Court. City police detectives had learned early Tuesday of the possible large-scale drug deal, court documents show. Specifically, police said they found out Zinewicz would be transporting a large amount of heroin from New York City to Norwich.Zinewicz was placed under surveillance Tuesday and was being watched when he met with a man with a record of drug arrests at the McDonald’s on Town Street. Zinewicz later drove to Bronx, N.Y., to visit a heroin supplier, police said.City police had contacted federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration who were waiting in the Bronx. At 7:55 p.m. Tuesday, Zinewicz was seen entering and leaving an undisclosed address in Bronx, police said. The eventual arrest, shortly after 10 p.m., was conducted with aid from the New London Police Department K-9 unit. In court, Zinewicz was ordered held under a combined medical and suicide watch and scheduled to return June 12 to Norwich Superior Court.

Peggy Vanhorn, Gary Vanhorn, Jr arrested for selling heroin.

Peggy Vanhorn and her son Gary Vanhorn, Jr. were arrested Thursday morning for selling heroin.A mother and son in Berkeley County are keeping their business in the family, and now they're facing felony charges.The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office searched their home at 739 Loop Road and found heroin, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash.The arrests come after an eight-month investigation where officers were able to buy drugs from the home.Investigators say there may be more arrests in connection to the charges.The arrests came after the Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team served a search warrant at a home in the 700 block of Loop Road for illegal narcotics, the release said. Gary Vanhorn Jr., 30, of 739 Loop Road, was and charged with three felony counts of distribution of a controlled substance (heroin) and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (heroin), according to the release.
His mother, Peggy Vanhorn, 51, also of 739 Loop Road, was charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (heroin), the release said. Both were arraigned by Magistrate Harry L. Snow, who set a $100,000 bond for Mr. Vanhorn and a $25,000 bond for his mother. Mr. Vanhorn was in Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg, W.Va., Thursday evening. His mother was no longer in jail after she and her son were admitted at 7:05 a.m., according to jail records.
According to the news release, Sgt. B.F. Hall, Lt. G. Harmison and Cpl. C.S. McCulley of the of the sheriff's office's Criminal Investigations Division initiated an investigation into drug activity at the Loop Road address in September after receiving information that drugs were being sold from the residence. Investigators were able to conduct several controlled drug buys of heroin.
Deputies seized approximately seven grams of heroin during the search. They also seized drug paraphernalia and a large amount of United States currency as part of the investigation. The street value of the seized heroin is approximately $3,000, the release said.

Patricia Ruggiero charged with possession of heroin; possession of heroin with intent to sell; possession of crack cocaine;

Ruggiero also had an outstanding warrant at the time of her arrest, according to police. She was additionally charged with two counts of identify theft; two counts of false statement to procure a credit card; two counts of illegal use of a credit card; one count of larceny in the fourth degree; and one count of larceny in the sixth degree. Patricia Ruggiero, 30, of Danbury, was charged with possession of heroin; possession of heroin with intent to sell; possession of crack cocaine; possession of crack cocaine with intent to sell; possession of narcotics; possession of narcotics with intent to sell; possession of hallucinogenic; possession of hallucinogenic with intent to sell; possession of crack cocaine with intent to sell within 1500 feet of a school; possession of drug paraphernalia; and risk of injury to a minor. She was issued a $500,000 bond. As a result of the Willow Park Apartments investigation, police say they also charged Sandy Almonte, 24, of Edgewood Street in Danbury, with possession of marijuana. She was released on a written promise to appear in court. Search warrants for the Park Avenue apartment unitwere served around 8:30 p.m. last night. Police say their investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected

David Fazzina Jr, Erika Wellern charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia because police found evidence of heroin use.

A pair who police said tore gutters off local buildings, including a church, to sell as scrap metal were arrested Thursday after a foot chase and a scuffle.Officers attempting to serve a warrant at Erika Weller's Nutmeg Avenue home for an unrelated crime on Thursday encountered Weller, David Fazzina Jr., and a van loaded with copper and aluminum, including the gutters.The metal was from local buildings, including houses, businesses and St. Adalbert's Church, police said. Police said they arrested Weller after a brief struggle and Fazzina after a foot chase.Both Weller, who turns 20 today, and Fazzina, 38, of Connecticut Boulevard in East Hartford were charged with third-degree larceny, third-degree criminal mischief and interfering with police. They also were charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia because police found evidence of heroin use.They are expected to be arraigned in Superior Court in Enfield today.

Daniel Galloway pleaded guilty to possession of Class C drugs with intent to supply

Daniel Galloway, 23, was searched when he began to act suspiciously during a visit to Holme House Prison, Stockton.
Two heroin substitute tablets were found on him, which he said had been given to him by a fellow-visitor.
Galloway, of Diamond Road, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to possession of Class C drugs with intent to supply when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court.
The hearing heard that two days before the offence was committed on 22 February, Galloway had been given a three month suspended jail sentence by Teesside Magistrates' Court for attempted theft. The hearing also heard that the Subutex tablets sell for £60 each in prison. Rebecca Smith, defending Galloway, said: "He is under no illusion how serious the offence is. "He has been under the influence of drugs since the age of 12. He wants to rid himself of drugs but he is subject to outside influences at the present."Sentencing him Judge George Moorhouse said: "The message must go out loud and clear to others that if they take drugs into prison they are going to receive a very severe sentence. "You must have seen the effect of drugs on yourself over the years."

Jerry Michael Bussell, is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and is being held on a $1 million bond,

Jerry Michael Bussell, 51, is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and is being held on a $1 million bond, Sterling Heights police said today. He was arraigned May 1 in 41A District Court in Sterling Heights. A May 13 preliminary exam was adjourned because Bussell wanted a court-appointed attorney. No new preliminary exam date has been set.Officers stopped him April 29 in the area of 14 Mile and Van Dyke and found about 3 ounces of cocaine and a large amount of cash in his vehicle.They interviewed him and he told them about a large amount of cocaine in a storage facility on Merrill Street. Officers with the city’s Crime Suppression Unit searched the facility and found 25 kilos of cocaine.

Raymond Kwame Amankwah, a Ghanaian described as one of the most wanted drug barons,Mandy Veit, Irena Beata Ciaslak have been arrested in Brazil

Raymond Kwame Amankwah, a Ghanaian described as one of the most wanted drug barons, has been arrested in Brazil through collaboration between the German Federal Police and its Brazilian counterpart. He was arrested alongside two women, Mandy Veit, a German, and Irena Beata Ciaslak, a German-Polish, at the Pinto Martins Airport in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara State in December 2007. The three were said to be working for a Nigerian group in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Amankwah was waiting for the two women, Mandy and Irena, who were due to fly to Lisbon, Portugal, each of them carrying 3.08 kilogrammes and 3.097 kilogrammes of cocaine, respectively. The Daily Graphic, in its August 13, 1996 edition, published a story in which the then Narcotics Unit of the Ghana Police Service had Amankwah, also known as Chanda Keita, wanted. The Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom was said to have issued a bench warrant for his arrest in 1995 for being the brain behind a crack cocaine network whose bust led to the discovery of 5.5 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at £l million. It was also indicated that prior to that, INTERPOL had also issued a warrant for Amankwah’s arrest in 1990 on behalf of the judicial authorities in France for violating that country’s legislation on drugs acquisition, possession and importation.The police said Raymond possessed two passports - a Ghanaian passport issued on July 19, 1988 and bearing the name Kwame Amankwah, while the other, an Ivorian passport, bore the name Kouame Amangouah and issued in Abidjan on November 15, 1985.The Daily Graphic, in April 1995, reported that the British Police had seized £1 million worth of cocaine and that a Ghanaian ringleader had been declared wanted. It said three accomplices - Mariame Keita, said to be Amankwah's wife, Andre N'Guessan, a drug distributor, and Charles Oppong, said to be Amankwah's lieutenant - had since been tried and were serving prison terms ranging from five to 20 years. Confirming the arrest in a correspondence to the Daily Graphic, a Director of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Ms Madeleine Lacsko, said the three suspects were arrested after security personnel searched Mandy's and Irena's luggage at the airport while the two were waiting to fly to Lisbon at 7:30 p.m. and found the drugs hidden in false compartments. It said Raymond, holder of Ghanaian passport number H1878450, was in custody at the House of Deprivation Provisional Freedom of Caucaia, while Mandy, holder of German passport number A0883780, and Irena, bearer of German passport number 176705648, were being kept at female prisons at Presidio Desa, Auri Moura Costa. It said the three were found to be part of an international drug trafficking network, a Nigerian drug mafia in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The correspondence said Amankwah had been in Brazil from January to November 2007, without leaving the country, and returned to Ghana in November 2007 for the marriage of his daughter. It said investigations revealed that while in Brazil, Amankwah was receiving income from his business in Ghana, including some bank transfers and deposits on his international card.
It said he was staying at a hotel where he was paying between $500 and $800 monthly.
It said the Brazilian police had information that Amankwah had come to Brazil raise a drug trafficking gang to supply drugs to Europe. The correspondence said it was established that Amankwah's experience was highly needed by the mafia because the cost of a kilogramme of pure cocaine in Europe was 40,000 euros, while the price in Fortaleza, Brazil was only $12,000. It said Amankwah was apprehended with the help of seven security men, after he had resisted arrest. It said Amankwah had met Mandy and Irena on November 28, 2007 and handed the bags containing the drugs to the two ladies.It said although Mandy and Irena denied knowledge of the contents of the luggage, the police argued that they could not be innocent, having accepted fully paid international trips with monetary rewards just for the delivery of the bags. The correspondence said Amankwah later allegedly confessed that they all knew what they were doing and acknowledged taking the drug from Ken Chukwuma, popularly known as Don, between the Paulista and Blanca avenues in Sao Paulo to hand it over to the ladies. It said the investigations traced the international trafficking operations of the gang from neighbouring Benin where Mandy had been invited by a German, Thomas Kamp, for holidays and later given a bag containing drugs to be delivered in France for a fee of 4,500 euros, adding that Irena was also part of the trip to Benin and benefited from a similar inducement. It said Kamp again met Mandy in Brazil and offered her 5,000 euros to deliver a bag containing drugs in London. It explained that Kamp later left for London but Irena later joined Mandy in Brazil for the same purpose.
The correspondence said it was established that Amankwah was the contact person in Sao Paulo from whom the two ladies were to pick the bags containing the drugs.
According to it, the German police had been trailing Mandy for some time, although Irena had not come to security notice in Germany yet.
It, however, said Irena's brother had been jailed in Peru for drug trafficking.
It said a Federal Judge, Dr Danilo Sampaio Fontenelle, sitting at 11th Vara, me Carlos, on March 24, 2008, for a pre-trial, declined bail for the suspects because of the seriousness of the case and the international dimension of the crime.
The judge, it said, also explained that the suspects were experienced international drug dealers who posed a serious danger to society if they were granted bail because they had no permanent address and no profession and, therefore, it was better that they were kept in jail.
It said Dr Edmac Trigueiro Lima is leading the prosecution, while Amankwah was being represented by two lawyers, Dr Paul Napoleao Quezado and Dr John Marcelo De Lima Perdrosa.

Agent Ramiro Flores Jr used his federal credentials and badge to bypass U.S. Transportation Security Administration screeners

Fellow agents described Ramiro Flores Jr.,as a longtime member of the Border Patrol’s ranks in McAllen.Agent Ramiro Flores 36, of McAllen, used his federal credentials and badge to bypass U.S. Transportation Security Administration screeners at McAllen-Miller International Airport with about 13.2 pounds of the drug hidden in a piece of luggage.Once inside the secure area of the airport, he is accused of swapping the bag with an awaiting accomplice, before both men boarded a flight to Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport.Houston police arrested both men Thursday as they exited the plane.According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, Flores unknowingly met with a federal informant earlier in the week to plan the drug smuggling trip. The man offered him $400 up front and an additional $6,000 once the trip was completed.A search of the Flores’ McAllen home after his arrest uncovered $340 of the initial payment, U.S. attorneys said.Federal authorities said it remains unclear whether Flores had made previous smuggling trips.
TSA policy allows armed, on-duty local and federal law enforcement officers to bypass airport checkpoints with the proper identification, according to the agency’s Web site. Flores, however, was not supposed to be on duty at the time of his trip, prosecutors said.It was unclear Friday whether he had retained an attorney. Several phone calls to his home Friday were not returned.

Diego Fernando Murillo indictment charges that he conspired to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States

Diego Fernando Murillo, 47, was extradited from Colombia on Tuesday along with 13 other jailed warlords as part an effort by President Álvaro Uribe to take a hard line against them and defuse a scandal. Mr. Murillo had been held in Colombia since 2005.The heavyset Mr. Murillo, who has a prosthetic leg and entered the courtroom with a pronounced limp, held his loose-fitting blue jeans up with one hand. He appeared weary and remained seated as his lawyer entered the not guilty plea.
The indictment against Mr. Murillo charges that he conspired to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States and to launder the drug proceeds. Prosecutors said the group for which he was the de facto leader, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, supported its paramilitary activities and enriched its leaders through drug trafficking. The State Department has designated it as a foreign terrorist organization. During the brief court proceeding, Paul R. Nalven, a lawyer for Mr. Murillo, portrayed him as a pleasant and placid diplomat who served as a negotiator between Colombia’s government and the right-wing paramilitary faction he heads.
Contending that his client “conducts himself like a gentleman” and presents “zero physical threat,” Mr. Nalven asked the judge, Richard M. Berman of Federal District Court, to consider overruling a decision by the United States Marshals Service to house Mr. Murillo in a high-security section of the federal jail in Manhattan. Judge Berman suggested that Mr. Nalven contact federal jail authorities.
One of the prosecutors, Eric Snyder, an assistant United States attorney, acknowledged that Mr. Nalven’s client was a sophisticated man, but he painted a very different picture of him. “We argue that he is a sophisticated man who is capable of being the de facto leader of a 15,000-strong paramilitary organization, which was a cocaine importation empire,” Mr. Snyder told the judge. “We would also argue that, as opposed to being a tranquil person, we will offer evidence that he was in fact an assassin in Medellín” in his earlier years.
Responding to Mr. Nalven’s contention that his client respected authority, Mr. Snyder said Mr. Murillo was “widely believed to have been involved in the murder” of a member of the Colombian Congress. Others of the extradited warlords had been tied to senior lawmakers in the Colombian Congress and to members of Mr. Uribe’s family.
Mr. Snyder said the murder of the member of Congress led to Mr. Murillo’s arrest, but investigators have said the investigation into Mr. Murillo, who was believed to be responsible for much of the cocaine that wound up in New York City, began there in 2003 with a New York detective who first heard about him from an informant.

Francis P. Peron was arrested Officers found glass pipes with white residue in his home, along with syringes, several empty baggies and $4,000

Francis P. Peron, 44, was arrested at 9 a.m. after troopers with the Alaska Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement, working with federal probation officers and U.S. marshals, found evidence of drugs in his home, according to a criminal complaint filed in court. Officers found glass pipes with white residue in his home, along with syringes, several empty baggies and $4,000 in his wallet.Law enforcement officers then returned with another search warrant to search buildings and vehicles at the house. That search turned up several baggies containing methamphetamine packaged for sale, a set of digital scales and another $2,275 in cash. Four baggies of crystal methamphetamine totalling 1 ounce were found in the center console of a vehicle registered to Peron.Peron was on probation for a previous drug conviction in 2000. He is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center on $20,000 bail.

Correctional officer Ivan Duke Peters charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell

Correctional officer Ivan Duke Peters, 34. He was taken into custody while on duty.
Peters was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, unlawful compensation, and smuggling contraband into a detention facility.
Officers received information that Peters had been bringing contraband into the prison in return for cash from inmates housed at Washington CI. Peters was taken into custody shortly after arriving for his shift.Additional arrests and charges are expected, the release said.

Rawle A. London was arrested yesterday after it was discovered that he had money, drugs and a cell phone in his possession.

Rawle A. London was arrested yesterday after it was discovered that he had money, drugs and a cell phone in his possession. All are items prohibited at the corrections facility in Smyrna .Police say another observed the cell phone and reported London, who has worked for the Department of Corrections for 3 years, to a superior officer. That officer investigated further and discovered London was also carrying $345, which is also a policy violation, 26 grams of what is suspected to be marijuana and about 1.5 grams of cocaine.Delaware State Police responded and continued the investigation. Their investigation revealed that London planned to distribute the items in his possession inside the prison.London, who lives in Dover, is charged with Possession with the Intent to Deliver Marijuana, Possession with the Intent to Deliver Cocaine and Promoting Prison Contraband. He was arraigned and released after posting $15,500.00 secured bail.

Prison officer Adam Vega is accused of plotting to smuggle more than an ounce of cocaine into the Connally Prison Unit in Kenedy.

Prison officer Adam Vega, 21, was arrested in Karnes County. Vega is accused of plotting to smuggle more than an ounce of cocaine into the Connally Prison Unit in Kenedy.Sneaking contraband into a prison is a felony. If convicted, Vega faces from five years to life in prison.“The biggest measure to try to keep the contraband out is just someone’s own honesty and integrity,” said Oscar Mendoza, warden of the McConnell Unit at Beeville.Unfortunately, in the past five years, 219 Texas prison employees were caught trying to sneak contraband to inmates. More than 31 employees have been arrested this year.“Any investigation (that) is initiated on the inside and it takes us to the outside, then we’ll follow those leads and complete the investigation, no matter where it’s at,” said Lt. Terry Cobbs, of the Office of the Inspector General in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The OIG investigates every incident, employee, guard or inmate who tries to sneak in contraband, and with more than 143,000 thousand inmates in Texas prisons, the department will never run out of work.Prisoners are constantly looking for ways to get their hands on banned items.
“Whatever you could think of that they possibly do, I promise you they’ve already done that,” Cobbs said.In the past, drugs were hot commodities, and they still are. In 2008, drugs were confiscated 903 times at Texas prisons. So far this year, they have been confiscated 225 times.When the TDCJ went tobacco-free in 1994, tobacco became the number one item. However, the fastest growing problem in prisons today is cell phones. Last year 561 cell phones were confiscated in Texas prisons.
Sometimes, inmates con their relatives or friends into unknowingly bringing contraband into the prisons. And sometimes it comes back to bite the inmate.“There’s the mom who called the warden at one of the facilities and asked if her son could be moved to another location because his cellular reception was not very good where he was housed at,” Cobbs said.

But when it’s an employee, plotting with the inmates, there’s nothing funny about it.

“He (Vega) was put up in this jail right here,” said Karnes County Sheriff David Jalufka. “He made a $75,000 bond. So I mean he will come before the grand jury in a short time. He will be tried right there on the second floor just like the convicts we try that do anything out here at TDCJ.”

Found 32kg of cocaine and £6,000 from the rear quarter panels of Mark Bunton's car

Mark Bunton, 52, from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire was stopped by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers at Dover on June 14 last year. He was driving a Vauxhall Astra car when he arrived on the ferry at the Eastern Docks and claimed that he had been to France to look for a property. Officers recovered about 32kg of cocaine and £6,000 from the rear quarter panels of Bunton's car. Tom Hunnisett HMRC's Acting Head of Criminal Investigation for the South East said: "Revenue & Customs is working alongside the newly - formed UK Border Agency at the forefront of the fight to stop drugs entering the UK and to reduce the associated harm to our communities. We aim to protect society from this activity wherever we detect it and will not hesitate to pursue those involved so that they can be effectively prosecuted by the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office.

Paul Clough,Paul Stromberg convicted of conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking offence outside the UK.

In February of last year, undercover police in Venezuela filmed the Samantha arriving in a warehouse in the port city of Puerto Caballo. Paul Stromberg and Paul Clough will be sentenced later
Police seized the boat, and used X-ray equipment to examine it, the court heard. They discovered a substantial number of blocks hidden in the lower half of the boat beneath a false floor. The jury was told after drilling through the floor, they discovered 337 kilos of cocaine said to be "almost perfectly pure".
Once "cut" with other drugs it would have had a street value estimated at more than £40m. When he was arrested, Stromberg told detectives from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), that he was a simple businessman who had property deals and catering interests. The court heard he said: "I'm not a man of lavish means by a long shot; I struggle like the rest of us." Stromberg, of Abergavenny, Gwent, was convicted of conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking offence outside the UK. He had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of the class A drug with intent to supply.The plans of Paul Clough, 44, of Leeds and property dealer Paul Stromberg, 42, to bring their haul of 81% pure cocaine into Britain was foiled by an X-ray, London's Woolwich Crown Court heard.
The speedboat, called Samantha, was bought in Venezuela and was to be shipped by container to Portugal before arriving at British shores, the jury heard.
But Venezuelan officials who examined the boat in February 2007 found 300 blocks of cocaine concealed skilfully within the fibreglass hull of the vessel and in total 337 kilograms of cocaine were beneath the area of the fuel tank.
Clough had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking offence outside the UK.A date for sentencing has yet to be set.

Raja Ali Arshad,Shazad Majid admitted conspiring to supply Class A drugs

When officers raided the address in Oxford Road, Linthorpe, an attic bedroom revealed a drug-dealing treasure trove - £1.16m of heroin, £4,000 of high-purity cocaine and £626 of crack cocaine, Teesside Crown Court heard.Police have welcomed the convictions of four men embroiled in a huge narcotics conspiracy after Teesside’s biggest ever drugs haul.The Middlesbrough ring could have put millions of pounds worth of cocaine and heroin on to the streets of Teesside.Raja Ali Arshad, 26, who lived at the Oxford Road home, and Shazad Majid, 29, of Westbourne Grove, North Ormesby, admitted conspiring to supply Class A drugs between December 31, 2006 and July 19 last year.Arshad’s brother Murthaza Arshad, 24, also of Oxford Road, and Amin Younis, 31, of Brafferton Road, denied the charge but were convicted by a jury after a four-week trial.Detective Constable Jim Devine said: “Four people who would have poured misery on to the streets will now themselves have a period of time to consider the implications of their ill-gotten trades.”The men will be sentenced in about two weeks’ time.

Anna Budinger pleaded guilty to drug charges

Anna Budinger was a custodian at Kaimuki High School when she arrested more than two years ago with more than 1/8th of an ounce of crystal methamphetamine, or ice.
She pleaded guilty to drug charges.In court on Friday, she again admitted that guilt.
"I made a mistake. I crossed a boundary. I know I need to go into treatment," she told the judge.Prosecutors wanted Budinger sentenced to 10 years behind bars because she was a school staff member when she was arrested.Her defense attorney asked for probation, because Budinger had no prior convictions and did not sell drugs to students."The issue was how far away in her car she was located, but it doesn't involve schoolchildren at all," attorney Johnaaron Jones said.However, Budinger admitted to Circuit Court Judge Michael Town that she was still using ice and that the drug would show up if she were tested.Town criticized Budinger for failing to enter a drug treatment program while awaiting sentencing.He sentenced her to one year in prison, but suspended all but 180 days of the prison term. Budinger must also serve five years probation drug free or face additional jail time.

Anselmo Zepeda"major" cocaine trafficker in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

Anselmo Zepeda, 52,a "major" cocaine trafficker in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois was indicted in December 1998 as part of Operation Crackshot. A Mexico native, he was a fugitive until 2005, when FBI agents and the Chicago police made a series of drug arrests. They noticed his name, compared notes and determined it was Zepeda, the man who trucked in millions of dollars worth of cocaine from the Southwest to the Midwest.Mihm noted that Zepeda was the main source of drugs for the Gangster Disciples and the Vice Lords street gangs. In Chicago, he supplied the Four Corner Hustlers."You were in the big business of drugs," noted Mihm, before noting that U.S. probation officers linked Zepeda alone to more than 500 kilograms of cocaine."That's more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine. That's a staggering amount," the judge said.Zepeda pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court as part of a rare, fully negotiated deal with federal prosecutors. Such deals are not common in federal court, where a person's sentencing range is often determined after an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.The 210-month sentence would run concurrently to two similar 210-month sentences he is serving from federal drug convictions in Indiana and northern Illinois.Kelly of Chicago was convicted in late 1996 and sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for moving hundreds of pounds of cocaine in the Peoria area between 1988 and 1995.Involving local, state and federal authorities, Operation Crackshot took aim at the Gangster Disciples in Peoria and produced charges against about 160 defendants. More than 100 gang members went to prison as a result.

Epiphane Castang, and Nelle George Charged with importing a controlled substance

Charged with importing a controlled substance are Epiphane Castang, 34, and Nelle George, 24, both of St. Lucia. Instant cake mix turned into an instant drug seizure for Canada customs officers at Pearson International Airport recently.
It was followed with an instant investigation by the Peel Children's Aid Society (CAS), as the two women accused of smuggling in the drugs, arrived on a flight with four children.After Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers discovered the 12 kilograms of cocaine on April 26, which was hidden inside packages of instant cake mix and powdered food, the RCMP charged Quebec residents 37-year-old Sandra Colette Nalvarte, and her mother, 73-year-old Olinda Hortencia Smith, with importing a controlled substance. The drugs have a street value of more than $1.5 million.The two women and children came into Pearson on a flight from Peru, according to the RCMP.Nalvarte's four children are in the custody of Peel CAS pending a review.
This week meanwhile, CBSA officers made two separate cocaine seizures on May 5. Both were on the same flight from St. Lucia.During the first incident, a 24 year-old man was charged after customs officers intercepted 4.5 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $560,000, which was "secreted in the spine of the luggage," according to CBSA spokesperson Patrizia Giolti. Daryl Augustin, of St. Lucia, has been charged with importing a controlled substance.Later, CBSA officers arrested a man and woman after 11.5 kilograms of cocaine was found hidden inside "false-sided luggage." The cocaine has a street value of more than $1.4 million.

Joseph Calleja, 30, and his brother Noel, 28 and Doreen Bugeja, 33, all from Santa Venera were charged with heroin possession and trafficking

Joseph Calleja, 30, and his brother Noel, 28 and Doreen Bugeja, 33, all from Santa Venera were charged with heroin possession and trafficking on 6 May and before. The drugs were found after a raid by the Police Drug Squad. A total of 35 grammes of heroin and 10 grammes of cocaine were seized.Doreen Bugeja pleaded not guilty to heroin trafficking, but admitted to charges of simple possession. She was also accused of relapsing in view of previous convictions. The court, presided over by Magistrate Doreen Clarke refused a bail application, but recommended that the Corradino Correctional Facility Director to allow the accused to enrol in a drug rehabilitation programme. The court will pass sentence on 16 May.Joseph Calleja pleaded guilty to heroin possession and trafficking as well as relapsing in view of previous convictions. The court will pass sentence with regard to this case also on 16 May.The younger of the brothers, Noel, pleaded not guilty to charges of heroin and cocaine possession and trafficking. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting a number of police officers, relapsing in view of previous convictions as well as committing a crime while under the operative period of a suspended prison sentence.
Police Inspector Jesmond Borg prosecuted while Dr Mark Busuttil and Dr Stephen Tonna Lowell appeared for the accused.

Hardy, McReynolds, Plunk, Cantrell, Kelsor, Carmichael, Herdman, Dennison, Lee, Woodson, Bankstron, Jordan and Large, are each charged with one count

Six Nelsonville residents and a Glouster resident were arrested Thursday as part of a year-long, multi-jurisdictional federal heroin investigation along the U.S. 33 corridor between Nelsonville and Marysville.
Hardy, McReynolds, Plunk, Cantrell, Kelsor, Carmichael, Herdman, Dennison, Lee, Woodson, Bankstron, Jordan and Large, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 grams of heroin.Plunk and Kelsor are also charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 grams of heroin.Kelsor, Carmichael, Herdman, Dennison, Jordan, Stewart and Large are each charged with unlawful use of a communication facility.
Beheler and Lacorte are charged with two counts each of aiding and abetting in the distribution of heroin.Knisley, Herdman, Fritz, Large, and Nash are charged with one misdemeanor count each of unlawful possession of heroin.

Omar Castaneda, a member of the South Side Pomona gang arrested with a whole kilo of cocaine in his home

Omar Castaneda, a member of the South Side Pomona gang,was involved in drug trafficking at the highest level that we've ever seen on a university campus," Mosler said. "His source of supply of the cocaine comes from Mexico. The cartel is responsible for smuggling most of the cocaine from Columbia through our border here in San Diego."Damon Mosler, chief of the Narcotics Division of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, said that Castaneda, who has a prior conviction for the sale of narcotics, received his supply of drugs from Mexico and members of the cartel.Jesse Navarro, a public affairs officer from the district attorney's office, said the number of Hispanics actually involved is very minimal"I believe there were only two or three Hispanics of the people arrested involved in this organization," Navarro said in Spanish. "We wanted to send a loud and clear message that this is a problem with shared responsibility on both sides of the border."After pleading not guilty yesterday in Superior Court, Castaneda was held on $150,000 bail by Judge Frederick Maguire. Castaneda served three years for his prior drug conviction.
"Castaneda is a documented gang member and suspected cocaine supplier," Mosler said. "He was one of the main sources of supply for some of the dealers on the San Diego State campus."When agents searched Castaneda's home they found 1 kilogram of cocaine, Mosler said.
"Castaneda was arrested with a whole kilo of cocaine in his home, which is the most cocaine ever found in a campus drug raid," Mosler said.The largest campus drug bust ever in San Diego County, police officers seized four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana and 350 ecstasy pills, as well as cash and weapons during Operation Sudden Fall. They also confiscated semi-automatic weapons, shotguns, and a rifle on Tuesday while arresting 18 students along with 15 others last week.The operation was a joint effort between University Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Rachel J. Pitcock,Christopher R. Perdue, Robert W. Greenwalt,Donnie D. Norris each charged with manufacturing methamphetamine

Rachel J. Pitcock, 23, of 1722 Allens Creek Road, in Burkesville; Christopher R. Perdue, 35, of 507 Grandview Ave.; Donnie D. Norris, Jr., 24, of 701 Woodland St., in Burkesville; Robert W. Greenwalt, 20, of 112 B Elm Hill Drive; and Daniel G. Elkins, 38, of 314 N. Lee St., Fort Gibson, Okla., were each charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a meth precursor, unlawful transaction with a minor and possession of drug paraphernalia. The arrests came after officers with the Glasgow Police Department went to 507 Grandview Ave., to investigate a drug complaint. After arriving at the scene, police made contact with Elkins outside the residence. While the subject was emptying his pockets, marijuana was found and Elkins then fled on foot, according to police. After officers took Elkins into custody, he was searched and a powdered substance believed to be methamphetamine was found on his person. Once police entered the home, they discovered the owner, Perdue, and the other subjects inside. Consent was given to search the home, where officers discovered crushed Sudafed, methanol, Heet, used coffee filters, an HCL generator and several other paraphernalia items, the GPD said. A 16-year-old female juvenile was also found inside the residence.
The owner told police that all the subjects inside the home were involved in the manufacturing of meth.

Edgar Millan shot nine times as he came home by professional killers

Edgar Millan shot nine times as he came home early in the morning and opened the door, government officials said."They were hunting him," a spokesman for the Security Ministry said.Mexican media said the attackers, one of whom was caught by Millan's bodyguards, were professional killers hired by the powerful Sinaloa cartel, headed by Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman. The man arrested had two pistols, one with a silencer, and was wearing a latex glove.
Millan was the head of operations for a federal police force known as the PFP and was in charge of coordinating large-scale operations to break organized crime rings, including drug trafficking.Calderon has sent thousands of troops and federal police to take on drug gangs near the U.S. border and in other parts of Mexico since he took office in December 2006.The president's office condemned the "cowardly murder of an exemplary public servant who was committed to the safety of Mexican families."Millan scuffled with his attackers as they shot him at close range, El Universal newspaper said.

Domingo Bailon-Yanez was identified as the alleged leader of that drug distribution ring

Domingo Bailon-Yanez, 30, of Burien, was identified as the alleged leader of that distribution ring. El Flamingo Restaurant is owned by a relative of Bailon-Yanez, and both the manager of the restaurant, Rigoberto Sabalsa-Lozano, 43, of SeaTac, and bartender Carla Rodriguez-Romero, 26, of Kent, have been charged in the case.
A 10-month investigation by a law enforcement team, dubbed Operation Pink Tiger, ended Friday with several arrests and the seizure of about 40 pounds of cocaine, a pound of heroin, guns, methamphetamine and about $240,000 in cash.The operation was a joint effort carried out by the King County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Records said the suspects were believed to be operating a drug distribution ring centered around the El Flamingo restaurant in Burien.Six suspects were arrested late Thursday and charged today with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. The arrests bring to 17 the total number of defendants charged in the case. One charged defendant remains a fugitive. The operation took it's name from the original target of the probe, who went by the nickname "Tigre," and the fact that cocaine was wrapped in distinctive pink cellophane.
The first arrests and indictments in the case occurred in late March 2008, with the arrest of 10 people for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin. This investigation used court-authorized wiretaps, which were left in place even after the first round of arrests. The wiretaps lead to additional evidence which resulted in the additional arrests.Last night, law enforcement executed seven search warrants and seized more than 16 kilos of cocaine, three guns and more than $203,000 in cash. Four cars also were seized. An additional person was arrested for involvement in the drug conspiracy, but later was released when he was found to be a juvenile.
Eight search warrants were served on March 25, which resulted in ten arrests, seizure of two kilos of cocaine and a pound of heroin. In addition law enforcement seized three guns, eight cars and $40,000 in cash.The drug-trafficking organization was based in Burien and had direct ties to Sinaloa, Mexico, said Special Agent-in-Charge Arnold R. Moorin. "The organization was large, well-established and was distributing more than 30 kilograms of cocaine per month in the greater Seattle area, Moorin said.Conspiracy to distribute the amounts of drugs involved in this case is punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison and a $4 million fine.Use of a juvenile to facilitate a drug crime can add an enhancement to the sentencing range, under federal law.

Lorenzo Sirignano was the organiser and controller behind Sussex Drug Gangs

Lorenzo Sirignano targeted vulnerable people to do his dirty work for him and threatened them with violence if they did not follow orders.Sirignano, 51, was the mastermind behind the biggest drugs ring to be smashed in Sussex.He put up the money to pay for high purity cocaine to be smuggled from Brazil and Ghana in 2006 and 2007.
Sirignano headed a 17-strong gang involved in smuggling, storing, distributing and supplying the Class A drug.He is believed to have personally made at least £2 million before he was arrested in February last year.Detectives believe he made even more from cocaine smuggled into the country undetected.Undercover police bugged his cars and listened in as he drove around Brighton and Hove with other members of his drugs gang.In one chilling conversation he is overheard threatening to shoot or petrol bomb Robert Paige after they fell out and Paige quit the gang in fear.Sirignano and nine members of the drugs ring have so far been sentenced to a total of 100 years behind bars.Seven others will be sentenced at Hove Crown Court today.Judge Paul Tain told Sirignano: "The picture of you is one of a powerful Mr Big of the drugs world with links in Ghana, Brazil, London and locally.
"You were well versed in countersurveillance methods and the manipulation of others.
"You distanced yourself from the offences by getting others to take the risks and to do your dirty work."You were the organiser and controller behind these conspiracies and it is obvious that you were prepared to use the threat of serious violence to achieve your criminal objectives."Sirignano lived in a large detached house in Ferndale Road, Burgess Hill, and ran a property management business.But his drugs empire was based at a tatty semi-detached house in Carlisle Road, Hove, where police found cocaine and amphetamines hidden in garages and in a van. Sirignano used drug addicts, tenants or employees to do his drugs work for him.They included 64-year-old grandmother Patricia Edwards, from Lewes, who was caught trying to smuggle 3kg of cocaine from Brazil for Sirignano.She had no previous convictions but was desperate for money and allowed Sirignano to persuade her to become a drugs mule, making three trips to Brazil. Edwards is now serving four years in a jail in Sao Paulo for attempting to smuggle cocaine.Detectives smashed the drugs ring when they arrested Sirignano and his lackeys as they waited at Heathrow for 10kg of cocaine worth £1.3 million to arrive from Ghana on February 19 last year.Undercover officers had spent months following Sirignano and listening in to his conversations as part of Operation Nash.Anthony Glass, QC, prosecuting, said Sirignano's bugged conversations showed he was a professional drugs dealer. Detectives eavesdropped as he told one dealer: "I got me bloke from Ghana. We are trying to send someone over and collect 15 keys (kilograms), some shiny block."Drugs mules Gary Waterman, 41, of Bengairn Avenue, Brighton, and Dean Swaysland, 28, of Southall Avenue, Brighton, were arrested as they got off the flight from Ghana at Heathrow.Their minder Michael Mensa-Bonsu, 42, of Ashley Court, Hove, was also arrested as he disembarked behind themWaterman was jailed yesterday for seven and a half years and Swaysland for eight and a half years.Mensa-Bonsu, who has previous convictions for smuggling drugs in France and Switzerland, was jailed for 16 years.Crack cocaine addict Karen Colvin, 48, of Tilgate Close, Brighton, and drugs mule Adrian Hughes, 23, of Carlisle Road, Hove, were arrested as they waited with Sirignano in his car at Heathrow.
Colvin was one of Sirignano's tenants and was married to Darren Waterman who is already in prison for smuggling cocaine from France.Waterman, 43, of Albert Road, Brighton, will be sentenced today for transferring more than £46,000 to Brazil for Sirignano.Colvin recruited his brother Gary Waterman to make the drugs run to Ghana with Swaysland and was at Heathrow to identify him to Sirignano.Colvin also transferred more than £58,000 of Sirignano's money to Brazil, Ghana and Canada to pay for cocaine.She was jailed for 12 years.She got her son Marlon Colvin, 20, snared in the investigation by getting him to use his passport to transfer just under £2,000 to Ghana for her.A jury found him not guilty of money laundering last week after he said he was just doing a favour for his mother and had no idea the cash was to be used to buy cocaine.Robert Paige, 51, of Sackville Road, Hove, was was jailed for ten years for conspiracy to smuggle drugs and conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Michael Back, 49, of Carlisle Road, Hove, was given ten years for conspiracy to supply the Class A drug.Adrian Hughes, 23, who shared a flat with Back in Carlisle Road, was one of the vulnerable people targeted and groomed by Sirignano.He was jailed for two years for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and conspiracy to supply cocaine.Sami Zarifa, 47, of Sussex Heights, Brighton, and Denis Mema, 22, of Montpelier Road, Hove, were given five years each for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
All the defendants had pleaded guilty to their roles in the cocaine conspiracy.Sussex Police welcomed the stiff sentences.Det Chief Supt Kevin Moore, head of Sussex CID, said: "Operation Nash was the highest profile case in recent years. It highlights perfectly the importance of policing an area at the very top of the tree when it comes to serious and organised crime."Det Insp Jez Graves, who led Operation Nash, said: "The sentences should act as a deterrent for others who plan to become involved in trafficking drugs into our communities."

Simon Finlay, Phillip Grange charged with conspiracy to import illegal drugs

Simon Finlay, 32, of Park Lane, Wesham, and, 54, of Park Valley, The Park, Nottingham, appeared before South Lakeland Magistrates' Court in Kendal on Thursday.
The pair are both charged with conspiracy to import illegal drugs alongside Peter Hannigan, 49, of Kendal, Darren Morris, 32, and Mark Neville, 41, both of Preston.
Cumbria Police discovered nearly 300lb of cocaine after its CID officers stopped and searched two lorries at the port of Harwich in Essex.The consignment arrived via Holland and was destined for the streets of Britain, police said.The five men will appear before Carlisle Crown Court on July 7.

Tony Mokbel will be extradited to Australia from Greece to face trial on murder and drugs charges.

Tony Mokbel will be extradited to Australia from Greece to face trial on murder and drugs charges.The extradition was approved today by Greece's Justice Minister, Sotiris Hadjigakis, who ratified an earlier decision by the country's Supreme Court, The Associated Press reports.However, Victoria's Police Minister Bob Cameron said there had been no official word from Greece on Mokbel's status.
"We welcome the news coming out of Greece, however, Victorian Police is yet to receive any official confirmation,'' he said tonight. Mokbel faces at least 20 charges related to cocaine importation and the deaths of underworld heavyweights Lewis Moran and Michael Marshall. He sparked a global manhunt after skipping bail on March 20, 2006 while on trial for cocaine smuggling.Following his disappearence, he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to up to 12 years' jail.He was arrested on an Interpol warrant last June at a cafe near the rented beachside Athens home he shared with his partner, Danielle McGuire and their young daughter Renate. Mokbel fought the extradition, saying he would not get a fair trial in Australia.After the Supreme Court ruling, he said he would prefer to be extradited to anywhere but Australia, including Beirut. "You would probably get a fairer trial for me in bloody Indonesia," he said at the time.

Terry Joe “Chewer” Murray found guilty after a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Syracuse, of operating a drug conspiracy in St. Lawrence County

The following co-conspirators were arrested and have already pled guilty to federal felony conspiracy charges:Gregory A. James, 37, Heuvelton
Randy A. Coller, 46, Ogdensburg
Johnny L. Bogardus, 42, Ogdensburg
Sonya L. Trimm, 35, Ogdensburg




Amber M. Murray, 32, Ogdensburg Terry Joe “Chewer” Murray, 49, of Ogdensburg, was found guilty after a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Syracuse, of operating a drug conspiracy in St. Lawrence County in 2006.In late 2006, numerous complaints of suspected drug activity at 720 Jay Street in Ogdensburg led to the Drug Task Force investigation.Police surveillance of Murray’s residence confirmed that multiple known cocaine dealers and customers frequented his residence which was outfitted with an elaborate video surveillance system.Murray was accused of being one of six people who were involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine powder and crack cocaine in 2006.Murray, who has three prior felony convictions, was found by the jury to have distributed or possessed with intent to distribute, in excess of 50 grams of crack cocaine and in excess of five kilograms of powder cocaine.
The evidence at trial showed that Murray was obtaining cocaine in Syracuse and Rochester and then distributing it to customers and other dealers in St. Lawrence County.Murray faces the possibility of a mandatory life sentence and will be sentenced on September 29.

Darren Morris, Mark Neville,Peter Hannigan charged with importing £15m cocaine .

Darren Morris, 32, Mark Neville, 41, both of Preston, and Peter Hannigan, 49, of Kendal - have been charged with importing illegal drugs. The three are to appear before South Lakeland magistrates over the 140kg drug raid at the port of Harwich, Essex. The raid was the result of a long-running intelligence-gathering operation led by Cumbria Police with assistance from Lancashire Police and HM Customs.It is understood to be one of the biggest seizures yet made on the UK mainland.The consignment arrived via Holland and was destined for the streets of Britain, police said.Drugs were discovered when two vehicles were stopped and searched entering a port in the UK on Saturday morning.The drugs seizure was the result of an on-going investigation by officers from Cumbria Police headquarter's CID unit, assisted by Lancashire Constabulary and HM Customs and Revenue.Six men have been arrested after the haul was discovered when two cars were stopped and searched at a UK port yesterday morning.Police said it is one of the biggest mainland seizures ever made in the UK.Detective Chief Inspector Jeff Ashton, of Cumbria CID, said the port where the seizure was made cannot yet be identified for "operational reasons".He did say it was outside the Cumbria area and added that his force was now working with other police forces as a series of raids take place in Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and others.Police said the Lancashire raids took place in Preston and Leyland.He said: "It was discovered when two vehicles were stopped and searched as they entered the UK from mainland Europe yesterday morning.
"At this stage I don't want to disclose further details of how or where the seizure took place."This is because six males have been arrested and they are in custody awaiting interview."There are also on-going operations with about five other forces to trace others suspected of being involved.
"A number of private and business addresses across the UK are being raided."
He added: "I am absolutely delighted with the success of this operation and the fact that we have prevented such a large quantity of cocaine from reaching the streets of Britain."

Laverna March was arraigned on charges of intent to distribute, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Laverna March, 44, was stopped at about 3 p.m. Monday, March provided false identification and the trooper observed "indicators of criminal activity." The driver consented to a search of the vehicle, and police found a bag of white powder and brown powder that could not be identified, as well as five balls of a brown substance wrapped in plastic bags, police reported. A State Police canine scanned the substance and "alerted" to it, and the driver was taken into custody.
The substance was tested at the state police Clearfield station and found to be one pound of heroin, according to state police. The other substances have not been identified.March was arraigned on charges of intent to distribute, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Corey Ferguson sentenced to 25 years guilty of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine

Corey Ferguson of Alvaton was found guilty of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine, out of the FADZ 4 DAYZ barber shop on Russellville Road.Ferguson was one of ten defendants facing a total of 30 counts.
Eight of the others pleaded guilty to their charges in federal court and received a total of 67 years in prison.
One of them pleaded guilty in state court

Dustin F. Bishop driving under the influence (drugs), possession of a controlled substance (heroin), fleeing-attempting to elude police

Dustin F. Bishop, 27, 1949 North 31st Road, Ottawa, was arrested at 7:26 p.m. on Interstate 80 at the Marseilles exit on complaints of driving under the influence (drugs), possession of a controlled substance (heroin), fleeing-attempting to elude police, reckless driving, endangering the life or health of a child and improper lane usage.Bishop was observed weaving in traffic on Interstate 80. When a deputy got behind Bishop's vehicle, Bishop made a "quick pass" around a semitrailer and then a quick exit from the interstate, according to a police report.
Bishop's son was turned over to a family member. Bishop was taken to the hospital for further testing for the driving under the influence of drugs charge. Bishop then turned over several packets of heroin he had placed in his mouth.He was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Tim Montgomery denied bond on federal heroin distribution charges.

Montgomery appeared today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge F. Bradford Stillman. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested a jury trial, which the judge set for July 9.A federal judge denied bond for former track star Tim Montgomery on federal heroin distribution charges.The former 100-meter world-record holder was arrested last week on a sealed indictment accusing him of dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in Virginia.Stillman said Montgomery is a flight risk and a danger to the community, noting he is accused of dealing heroin in Virginia four times to a government informant after he pleaded guilty in a New York-based check-kiting conspiracy. He is to be sentenced May 16 in that case.The 33-year-old Montgomery pleaded guilty in the New York case, admitting he helped his former coach, Olympic champion Steve Riddick, and others cash $1.7 million in stolen and counterfeit checks. He faces up to 46 months in prison.
Eric Hurt, an assistant U.S. attorney, called the heroin case straightforward.
Montgomery met four times with a confidential informant from August to April, dealing a total of 111 grams of heroin for $8,450, Hurt told the judge.Authorities recorded the meetings on audiotape and, in two cases, also on videotape. Drug Enforcement Administration agents also observed the transactions, Hurt said.
Montgomery’s defense attorney James O. Broccoletti declined to comment after the hearing, as did members of Montgomery’s family, who were in court.
Riddick is serving a five-year prison term. Montgomery’s former companion, Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones, is serving a six-month prison term for lying to investigators about the check-fraud scam and using steroids.
Montgomery won a gold medal in the 400 relay at the 2000 Olympics and a silver medal in the 400 relay at the 1996 Olympics.
Montgomery retired in December 2005 after he was banned from track for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for doping linked to the investigation of BALCO, the lab at the center of a steroid scandal in sports. He never tested positive for drugs and has said he never knowingly took any banned substances.
All performances after March 31, 2001, were wiped from the books, including his world record of 9.78 seconds in the 100 meters in September 2002.

Giuseppe Greco has been jailed for seven years by Ipswich Crown Court after attempting to smuggle £118,400 worth of drugs through Stansted Airport.

An Italian man has been jailed for seven years by Ipswich Crown Court after attempting to smuggle £118,400 worth of drugs through Stansted Airport.
The man, Giuseppe Greco, 24 who was a carpenter from Sardinia attempted to smuggle the drugs on January the 16th 2008. For a reason that is still not clear Greco attempted to abandon his luggage containing the drugs at the airport but was stopped by Revenue and Customs officers.Greco, when challenged, claimed to have lost the keys for his baggage. However when they were scanned it was discovered that there were 33 rectangular packages inside them. As a result of the discovery the officers forced the locks on his baggage and a set of scales was found with most of the rectangular packages containing cannabis resin, along with two containing cocaine. Also inside were ten pellets that looked as if they had been made to be carried internally. Greco was sent to the local hospital to ensure that there were no more packages inside his body.In sentencing Greco, Judge Mckittrick stated that his addiction to drugs and previous convictions involving prostitutes could not be overlooked and he had decided to issue a custodial sentence for the Italian.

Faron Blanchard, is charged with importing and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Faron Blanchard, 41, is charged with importing and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He next returns to court June 3. Blanchard was arrested Feb. 27 after officers from the Canada Border Service Agency discovered 230 kilograms of cocaine in the cab of a transport truck entering Canada. It was the largest seizure of cocaine at a land border crossing in Canadian history. A court order preventing publication of evidence presented at Friday's day-long hearing was necessary to ensure a fair trial, Justice of the Peace Stewart Taylor said. Outside the courtroom, federal prosecutor Michael Robb said cocaine seizures are on the rise. Three significant seizures have been made at the bridge so far this year, and nine in the previous two years. Many involved commercial truckers carrying perishable produce from California. About 3,700 trucks cross the bridge daily and border officers can only conduct secondary inspections on about 35 of them. Because cross-border trade is the nation's economic lifeblood, officers are under pressure to prevent delays, Robb said. Secondary inspection techniques now include X-ray-like scans that can reveal hidden cargo, a technology that assisted in the Feb. 27 bust.

Carolina and Alejandro Gonzalez were arrested in August after officers with a search warrant went to their home

Carolina and Alejandro Gonzalez were arrested in August after officers with a search warrant went to their home in the 2800 block of South Jennings Avenue. Police have said the arrests culminated a two-month investigation in which undercover officers bought black-tar heroin five times at the house. When police executed the search warrant, they found nearly an ounce of heroin, scales, drug paraphernalia and a ledger that recorded who bought the heroin and the price.On March 10 -- the same day her husband died -- Carolina Gonzalez, 58, reached an agreement with prosecutors and was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to five charges of delivering and manufacturing a controlled substance, according to court records.
According to court records, Alejandro and Carolina Gonzalez were arrested Sept. 4, 1996, for possessing 4 to 200 grams of heroin with the intent to deliver. Alejandro Gonzalez, then 69, and his wife each received seven years of deferred adjudication. Alejandro Gonzalez's case was dismissed in 2004 after he completed his probation. His wife's probation was later revoked and she was sentenced to two years in prison because she repeatedly used opium-derived medications without a valid prescription, court records show.

Diana Rallo a notorious local drug dealer spend life without parole in the state penitentiary after finding her guilty of drug trafficking.

jury has recommended that a notorious local drug dealer spend life without parole in the state penitentiary after finding her guilty of drug trafficking.Formal sentencing for Diana Rallo, 55, has been scheduled for June 4.Testimony in Rallo’s trial began on Tuesday and continued through Wednesday when the jury eventually retired at about 1 p.m. It took jurors approximately two hours to return with a “guilty” verdict.The jury has also recommended that Rallo pay a $150,000 fine.A pre-sentence investigation has been ordered in the case.According to a probable cause affidavit, at approximately 8:30 a.m. March 22, 11th Judicial Drug Task Force officers set up a surveillance in the 1300 block of South Keeler Avenue. Rallo and a man named Jack Morrison pulled up in a vehicle and were immediately surrounded by police. Morrison reportedly got out of the vehicle without incident, but police say Rallo became combative, kicking, hitting and attempting to bite officers.After Rallo was secured, police reportedly found a plastic container that had been knocked out of the vehicle during the struggle. Inside the container officers found a large freezer bag that contained a “large amount of crystal like substance,” according to the affidavit. The substance, which later field tested positive for methamphetamine, was 450 grams with a street value of $45,000, reports indicate.
As Rallo was booked into the Bartlesville Jail, police also found a black zipper purse in Rallo’s right front coat pocket. Police say the purse contained three baggies of a similar substance and a small glass pipe.Rallo has previous drug-related convictions in Washington County.Morrison faces charges of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a vehicle where drugs are kept.
His next hearing is scheduled for July 9.

Andrew Martin was arrested after Richmond police pulled him over for suspicious driving.

Andrew Martin, 30, 212 N. Salen St., Boston, was arrested after Richmond police pulled him over for suspicious driving. After a search, police found a rock of cocaine in his vehicle, but police did not know the exact amount on Saturday.
Martin initially resisted a blood alcohol test and was escorted to Reid Hospital, where he was found to have a .15 blood alcohol level. The legal limit in Indiana is .08.He was taken to the Wayne County Jail on Friday and had made bail by Saturday night.

Susanna Binti Janury has been charged with drug smuggling after she allegedly arrived at East Midlands Airport with cocaine

Susanna Binti Janury has been charged with drug smuggling after she allegedly arrived at East Midlands Airport with cocaine, said HM Revenue and Customs.
More than three kilos of the class A drug cocaine were found in luggage with an estimated value of £150,000 - although this would have doubled or even trebled once 'cut' by drug dealers, HMRC said.UK Border Agency officers intercepted the suspect after she arrived on a flight from the Gambia.
After questioning, officers searched her luggage and found the cocaine concealed in its base.Susanna Binti Janury was remanded in custody to appear before magistrates in Loughborough, a HMRC spokeswoman said.

Ashley Harmon,Mark Sayce jailed for four years

Ashley Harmon, aged 27, of Lime Grove, Hinton, Hereford; Mark Sayce, aged 34, of Archenfield, Madley; Timothy Kaye, aged 26, of Archenfield, Madley; and Paul Kings, aged 35, of Springfield Avenue, Hunderton, Hereford; all admitted a series of charges related to supplying heroin and were each jailed for four years.
His Honour Judge Richard Rundell told the four that evidence showed they had set up a “significant operation” to meet a ready market. Anthony Johnston, prosecuting, told the court that the gang used Kings’ flat in Hunderton to sell from and kept its stocks at Sayce’s home in Madley. A police surveillance team spent several weeks watching the flat between July and September last year to see a steady stream of addicts calling and deals being done. Another team was watching Sayce’s address at Madley. Sayce and Kaye were caught with more than £1,000 worth of the the drug that they had been seen buying in Gloucester when undercover officers stopped and searched their car. Raids on the two target addresses were launched last September. At Archenfield, officers had to force their way through a front door that had been barricaded by a metal pole and saw Harmon hurl heroin, just bought in Newport, out of a window. The Springfield Road flat was found full of evidence that deals were being done, but no heroin. The four gave little away in police interviews and were freed on bail. Kings was arrested again in October when heroin was found in his shed and told officers that he had let Sayce and Harmon use his flat to sell the drug. All four then faced conspiracy charges. The court heard that the defendants were heroin addicts with previous convictions that ranged from drugs offences and dishonesty to counterfeiting. Anna Midgley, for Harmon and Kaye, said the “hand-to-mouth” dealing being done was solely to feed the gang’s own addiction. Sarah Przybylska, for Sayce, said the gang made no profit from the operation beyond that to fund modest lifestyles. Michael Aspinall, for Kings, said his client let his flat be used for drug dealing in return for heroin.