The Black Mafia Family,WANTED Paul Buford suave charmer with plenty of charisma

members of the Detroit-based gang "The Black Mafia Family" have found themselves under the suspicion of law enforcement for dozens of crimes committed throughout the nation. The leaders of the gang, brothers Terry and Demetrius Flenory, have been arrested, pled guilty, and sentenced to decades in prison for the felonies they've masterminded.According to Marshals, the Flenory brothers operated the Black Mafia Family under the guise of the rap label "BMF Entertainment."BMF Entertainment acted as a legitimate facade for their operation, in an attempt to keep cops from noticing the large amounts of money flowing in and out of their organization. But nothing could hide the flash of their bling or the gold on their grills: federal agents aren't stupid, and they knew that, sooner or later, the BMF would come undone.
Since the Flenorys will be imprisoned for years to come, the baton has been passed, and the leadership of the criminal organization has changed hands.
As of April 2008, an investigation spearheaded by the Detroit office of the DEA has resulted in the indictments of 64 BMF members, as well as the seizure of approximately $20 million in assets. It all stems from charges alleging their cooperation and participation in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine, among other improprieties.While 64 'Family' members have been taken down in the first wave of arrests, one man has managed to evade the wide net cast by DEA officials. His name is Paul Buford, and Marshals need your help to take him off the streets once and for all.
They describe Buford as a suave charmer with plenty of charisma.
Dangerous Felon Known To Live Life Of Luxury
While Buford isn't the high-profile BMF ringleader like Terry and Demetrius Flenory were, police say he's still a big player in the crime syndicate and needs to be put behind bars, according to U.S. Marshals in Detroit.

Buford is currently wanted on a federal warrant for conspiracy to sell large quantities of cocaine, and another for conspiracy to launder money.

But not surprisingly, these aren't the first crimes he's ever been wanted for. In his past, Buford's been charged with assault & battery, assault with a firearm, domestic violence, and multiple counts of larceny, to name just a few of his prior alleged indiscretions.

Now, he's wanted for more of the same, only this time, the charges would land him in prison for a substantially longer time than he's ever faced before: up to 20 years.

Deputy U.S. Marshals on the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team tell us that Buford's eluded them for nearly two years, and they hope this latest push for publicity will help them nail him down for good.

They describe Buford as a suave charmer with plenty of charisma who's known to drive expensive cars and wear top-of-the-line threads. He has expensive taste, and cops say he's one of the top members of the BMF's west coast bureau.

If you've seen this dangerous felon, you've got to call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

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Funeral wreath bearing a threatening note with the names of two of the dead and other officers was left outside the Chihuahua state police headquarter

commander and two other members of a state auto-theft investigations unit were killed in two attacks by hit squads this week in Juárez, said Chihuahua state officials.After the gangland-style killings, a funeral wreath bearing a threatening note with the names of two of the dead and other officers was left outside the Chihuahua state police headquarters in Juárez.Tuesday evening, Cmdr. Rodolfo Barragan Marrufo was in a Dodge Ram 2500 when he was fatally shot by masked gunmen in the parking lot of Los Cedros Hotel, officials said.An unknown number of shooters opened fire after getting out of a white Dodge Durango or Cadillac Escalade.Thirty bullet casings were found at the scene.Officials said Barragan had training from U.S. authorities, including having taken a course to identify stolen vehicles by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and a crime scene investigation workshop in Albuquerque.Wednesday evening, two auto-theft agents in their official Dodge Ram 2500 were at a stop light when they were fired at from a van, officials said.The agents drove into an incoming traffic lane to try to escape but crashed into a car.
Agents Luis Carlos Rodri guez Saldaña, 33, and Mario Saldaña Ramirez, 39, died at the scene, where investigators found 41 bullet casings.Seven other homicides also occurred Wednesday in Juárez.More than 1,060 slayings have been reported in the border city so far this year.

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Bernardino Terracciano, who played local mob boss Uncle Bernardino in the movie "Gomorra," arrested.

Police in the Naples area arrested seven alleged mobsters on Saturday, including an actor who played a boss in an award-winning movie denouncing the mafia.The pre-dawn raids targeting the Camorra crime syndicate netted alleged members of a clan responsible for the gangland-style killing of six African immigrants last month, said police in the town of Caserta, near Naples.Those arrested were not directly linked to the deadly shooting, but were suspects in other attacks and crimes. The clan's alleged boss, Giuseppe Setola, escaped arrest and was being sought along with three others, police said in a statement.The Sept. 18 shooting of the Africans sparked rioting in an area already rife with lawlessness and violence, prompting the government to deploy 500 soldiers to set up checkpoints and help police.Investigators believe the Camorra orchestrated the slayings to punish the Africans for getting involved in drug trafficking, one of the syndicate's lucrative activities. At least four men accused in the killings have been arrested in sweeping anti-mafia raids over the last weeks.Among those netted in Saturday's sweeps around Caserta was Bernardino Terracciano, who played local mob boss Uncle Bernardino in the movie "Gomorra," said police official Rodolfo Ruperti.Terracciano, 53, is accused of extortion and associating with the mafia, Ruperti said.Director Matteo Garrone's study of the Naples-based Camorra won second place at the Cannes Film Festival this spring and is Italy's hopeful for a best foreign language film at the Academy Awards in the United States.The movie is based on a book by Roberto Saviano, whose expose on the Camorra's hold on everything from fashion to waste disposal forced him to go under police protection.

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Oceanside street gang six people arrested

Six people were arrested and six others already in custody were named yesterday in federal complaints resulting from a three-year investigation targeting an Oceanside street gang, authorities said. During the investigation, authorities seized 26 firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in the Oceanside area, U.S. Attorney Karen Hewitt said in a statement.
Many of the defendants are members or associates of the Varrio Posole Locos gang, Hewitt said. She said the crimes alleged in the complaint include purchase, theft and possession of multiple firearms by convicted felons; robbery of a heroin dealer who was forced from a moving vehicle; conspiracies to distribute heroin at the Vista jail and at Ironwood State Prison in Blythe; and street sales of methamphetamine and heroin.

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Gangsters are flocking to the millionaires' playground of Dubai

Gangsters are flocking to the millionaires' playground of Dubai. "Enforcer" Graeme Pearson - former head Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency - says the Middle East desert kingdom attracts global organised crime bosses. He said: "Dubai is a place of great interest to criminals internationally. It's a bit like an owners' club where they talk about the new places in the world. "Once it was Amsterdam then places such as Portugal and the Costa del Sol but now it's Dubai."
One Dubai exile from Scotland is playboy Imran Hussain, of Glasgow, who is being probed over a billion-pound carousel fraud perpetrated against UK taxpayers.
Others include security firm couple Paul and Marie Johnston who brag about rubbing shoulders with Prince Andrew. European organised crime gangs and the Russian Mafia flock to the United Arab Emirates state. They're attracted by its opulent hotels, lack of scrutiny from Western authorities and tax-free status. But Pearson believes other countries will eventually force the Dubai authorities to get tough.
He said: "It will come because there will be global pressure as there has been in other places such as Switzerland."

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Gareth Knott was found in possession of four bags of white powder when searched by police

Gareth Knott of Anstee Court, Leckwith, Cardiff, was found in possession of four bags of white powder when searched by police in June.A policeman had spotted Knott and two other men acting suspiciously in Cornwall Street, Grangetown, and decided to search them because they smelled of cannabis.In addition to the crack cocaine the policeman found a bag of cannabis in Knott’s pocket. Officers carried out a further search of Knott’s home, where they found five more bags of cocaine.During interviews with police, he admitted he was going to supply the drugs to his friends when they all went out to a nightclub.His barrister, Jodie McBride, told Cardiff Crown Court: “Mr Knott has no previous convictions whatsoever. But unfortunately he has now entered the criminal system at the highest level.”She said he had bought the drugs for £250 and intended to sell them to friends for £270. His barrister denied claims that Knott’s actions were the result of his girlfriend having a “responsible job”, which brought in more income than he earned.Sentencing him to two-and-a-half years in a young offenders’ institute, Judge Stephen Hopkins yesterday described him as a “low-level street dealer”.

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Leonel Tribilant, 38, Demetrius Gabriel, 21, Antonio Munnings, 20, and Kerlin Bellot, 29, have all been indicted on charges of possession of crack

Leonel Tribilant, 38, Demetrius Gabriel, 21, Antonio Munnings, 20, and Kerlin Bellot, 29, have all been indicted on charges of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. All four have past drug convictions and have recently had state drug trafficking charges dropped against them, according to Manatee County court records.In January, prosecutors declined to file cocaine trafficking charges against Tribilant. He had been arrested in a Bradenton Police drug sweep dubbed "Operation Broken Ice."Police detectives made numerous arrests in the sweep, but charges were dropped against several suspects after prosecutors said police did not provide enough evidence to get convictions.In Tribilant's case, police said they had recorded phone calls of him making drug deals. Prosecutors later ruled the phone calls were not enough to file charges.Court records show cocaine trafficking charges against Gabriel, Munnings and Bellot were also dropped.In March, Manatee County Sheriff's Office detectives stormed a house in the 700 block of 64th Avenue Terrace West, finding all three men.They also found more than 230 grams of crack cocaine in the house, in a hidden compartment below floorboards, according to sheriff's reports.
All three were arrested, but prosecutors dropped the charges because the drugs were not in plain view, therefore possession could not specifically be assigned to anyone in the house.But as local authorities arrested the men, federal authorities were also watching them, witnessing several crack cocaine drug deals since September 2007, according to the indictment.U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Steve Cole said authorities often ask for assistance in building drug cases."In the past few years, we have been reaching out to help local law enforcement agencies who come to us with people they are having a problem with," Cole said. "We have a pretty good track record of getting convictions in these cases. We are really trying to get the worst of the worst."

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Mayor built a house on non-urban land by claiming it was just a garden shed

Residents have complained that the mayor has built a house on non-urban land by claiming it was just a garden shed. According to the village’s inhabitants, Juan Jose Puchol (PSPV) had a house built of some 40 square metres, which he said was just a storeroom for tools and a DIY room, but then later installed a small bathroom and kitchen. They say the windows of the ground floor are blanked out so passers-by cannot see that it is lived in, and the upper floor windows ‘have sea views’. Properties built on land classified as ‘rural’ or ‘rustic’ must not be residential, meaning that planning permission is not available. In this respect, residents claim the mayor’s house was built without the correct legal licence. But the mayor says the council’s architects gave the green light to the construction. Residents have also complained that the mayor has ‘illegally’ built a property in the mountains nearby. They say he did so using an existing ruin and a renovation licence, but that in practice, the building is completely new and none of the existing walls has been used in the construction. According to the mayor, ‘it was just the restoration of an old farmhouse’.

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Scotty Medford Ellis was charged Sunday when a police officer received a call about drug activity in the parking lot of Ingles on Barber Boulevard

Scotty Medford Ellis resigned Thursday after police over the weekend cited her with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.Ellis, who served as executive director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority since 1995, said her resignation would take effect Nov. 1. She declined to comment on the pending charges.“I am proud, as a native of Haywood County, to have helped make people throughout the Southeast aware of its beauty as a top vacation destination,” Ellis said. “I certainly hope the progress we have made over the last 13 year continues.”
Ellis was charged Sunday when a police officer received a call about drug activity in the parking lot of Ingles on Barber Boulevard. A witness called police after reportedly seeing a woman in a BMW put marijuana in a black bag before going into the store, according to a Police Department arrest report.The report states that the officer approached the woman, later determined to be Ellis, when she came out of the store and asked if he could search the black bag in her front seat. Ellis told the officer she would rather he not before relenting and handing him the bag. The officer opened the bag and found deodorizing spray and zip-closure plastic bags containing 1/2 ounce of marijuana, 1 gram of hashish and a glass pipe, according to the report.The officer gave Ellis a citation for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.These charges come less than two months after Ellis pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor drug charges stemming from a Dec. 30 traffic stop. In that case a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper stopped Ellis for speeding and reported smelling marijuana. Ellis told police there was a small bag of marijuana in the front passenger seat and officers also discovered a glass pipe in the bag, according to a police report.
The TDA gets hotel occupancy taxes to fund tourism promotion.Ellis said she did not immediately know what she would do for work, but said she plans to “pursue other opportunities.”

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Adam Szendzielorz, of Essendon, and accomplice James Puentes, both 28, have each been sentenced to 10 years.

Adam Szendzielorz, of Essendon, and accomplice James Puentes, both 28, have each been sentenced to 10 years.They were caught after customs officers intercepted a kilo postal-package of the drug. It was addressed to a lavishly kitted out North London council flat the pair used as a base.They had arranged for the £86,000 parcel to be sent from Costa Rica. But it was intercepted in May at London's Mount Pleasant postal depot. Police swapped the contents with baby powder, and officers posed as couriers to deliver it to the flat. Puentes answered the door and Szendzielorz arrived minutes later.The men, sporting £6,000 worth of of Rolex watches between them, were arrested as they left the flat. Officers found another £10,000 worth of cocaine.The flat, sublet from a council tenant, was kitted out with a plasma television, iPod docks and a tropical fish tank, and there was £300 worth of Champagne stashed in the fridge. Szendzielorz, who has not paid tax for nine years, was carrying a rucksack with around £5,000 of cocaine stuffed inside.The new delivery was found unopened inside the property, and a further £4,500 of the drug was found in a draw in Puentes' bedroom, along with £600 cash and Puentes' Spanish passport.The pair, who have no previous relevant convictions, attended St Aloysius School in Highgate together.But Szendzielorz developed a cocaine habit after his mother died in early 2005.John Hunter, defending, said Szendzielorz took up dealing to fund a drug habit which he developed after his mother died in 2005.Szendzielorz, of Glebe Close, Essendon, and Puentes, of Kentish Town, north London, each denied importing cocaine.Szendzielorz denied converting criminal property but admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply in respect of the £10,000 cocaine haul.Puentes denied possessing and converting criminal property and possession with intent.They were convicted of all charges at Blackfriars Crown Court last month. Sentencing them last Thursday, judge Miss Recorder Joanna Korner QC, said: "Both of you have been engaged together in drug dealing for some time, certainly for a period of at least a year.

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Sergio Acevedo Silva sentenced to 11 years

Sergio Acevedo Silva to 11 years, three months in prison and five years of supervised release Thursday. Silva was convicted of possession of meth with the intent to distribute and being an alien in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.Silva will likely be deported at the end of his prison sentence.Law enforcement officers arrested Silva on July 5, 2007 as part of an investigation by the Puyallup Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a press release.Officers had seen Silva load items into a rented storage locker and then make what appeared to be several drug sales.When officers stopped him, Silva had more than $7,000 cash and a loaded handgun in his car, according to a press release. During a later search of the car and storage unit, officers found small quantities of meth, cocaine, heroin and marijuana as well as several flat screen TVs.Silva had a previous conviction in Pierce County for meth possession. After his release from custody, he was deported.

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Zechariah Benjamin found guilty gets life.

Zechariah Benjamin was found guilty in May of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and distribution of more than five grams of crack. Benjamin had previously been convicted of felony drug offenses twice in Illinois. He was arrested during a search of a Cedar Rapids apartment last December. Trial testimony said that Benjamin was involved in the distribution of over 1 kilogram of crack in Cedar Rapids last year. Benjamin was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

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Travis Henry put his house up as collateral for a $360,000 secured bond and will post another $40,000 as an unsecured bond.

Travis Henry put his house up as collateral for a $360,000 secured bond and will post another $40,000 as an unsecured bond. He is scheduled it be released on bail sometime Thursday will he remain on house arrest.Henry will face a Montana judge on federal conspiracy drug charges.The Former Denver Broncos running-back, was arrested October 2, for trafficking cocaine and marijuana that was allegedly headed to Billings for distribution.The U-S Attorney's office announced Monday afternoon that Henry and James Mack, 29, will make their initial appearances in Montana Federal Court. That date has not yet been set.U.S. Magistrate Kristen Mix ordered the case to be moved to Billings and set Henry's bail at $400,000.Henry faces one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent sell.Court documents trace the case back to a Sept. 16 traffic stop along Interstate 90 about twenty miles east of Billings.When the Montana Highway Patrol and a DEA agent searched the vehicle, they found a black duffle bag that contained three kilograms of cocaine and six pounds of marijuana, according to court documents.Under questioning, one of the vehicle's occupants told authorities he was traveling to Billings to deliver the drugs to a Billings resident. He agreed to become an informant in the case and implicated Henry and Mack as those behind the operation.The U.S. Attorney's office said Henry and Mack were informed of the charges against them and will enter a plea in Billings.If convicted, Henry could face up to life in prison and a $4 million fine

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Ramiro Vanoy Murillo and Francisco Javier Zuluaga Lindo sentenced to more than 24 years in prison and Zuluaga Lindo to just under 22 years.

Vanoy Murillo was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison and Zuluaga Lindo to just under 22 years. They are the first of 14 warlords extradited in May to be sentenced to federal prison.The men were leaders of Colombia's right-wing United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym AUC. The AUC has been blamed for hundreds of killings, kidnappings and other crimes considered some of the worst atrocities of Colombia's long-running civil conflict.Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said the 14 were sent to face U.S. justice because they were still committing crimes from inside Colombian prisons and had not paid restitution to their victims. They were yanked from their cells May 12 and flown as a group to the U.S. in a top-secret operation that surprised even prosecutors working to document paramilitary crimes in Colombia.The U.S. charges did not mention Colombian violence. Authorities focused on attempts by Vanoy Murillo, Zuluaga Lindo and many others to smuggle an estimated 20 tons of cocaine into the United States from December 1997 to November 1999.In court Thursday, Vanoy Murillo expressed "my remorse, my repentance" and again admitted his guilt."I am here to accept responsibility for my actions," he said in Spanish, according to a court interpreter.Zuluaga Lindo also said he was ready to accept Moore's sentence.U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta said the two were initially jailed Aug. 16, 2006, on Colombia arrest warrants issued at the request of U.S. authorities.U.S. prosecutors said Vanoy Murillo, also known as "Cuco," was a former commander of an AUC wing known as the "Bloque Mineros" — "Miners Bloc" in English — financed mainly by cocaine trafficking. Prosecutors said the group controlled many airstrips and cocaine production facilities in Colombia and provided security for other smugglers.Zuluaga Lindo, a large man nicknamed "El Gordo" — or "The Fat One" — disarmed with his group in August 2005. The moves were supposed to have protected them from extradition to the U.S. and assure them lesser prison terms in Colombia, in return for publicly confessing their crimes.In Colombia, authorities described Vanoy as a veteran drug trafficker and an ally in the 1980s of Colombia's most famous narco, Pablo Escobar. Vanoy had commanded an irregular army of some 1,000 men in a region where the paramilitaries killed hundreds, they said.Zuluaga Lindo is among drug traffickers who are believed to have paid millions of dollars for a paramilitary "franchise" so they could later take advantage of a government amnesty program that offered reduced sentences, those officials said. Zuluaga told Colombian prosecutors he was part of the AUC's political and financial wing and had no part in and did not order any killings.One other AUC member extradited in May — 47-year-old Diego Murillo — has pleaded guilty in New York federal court and is awaiting sentencing in December. The others are being prosecuted in Tampa, Washington and Houston.The Miami guilty pleas grew out of a huge federal investigation known as "Operation Millenium" that since 1999 has resulted in 38 convictions of drug traffickers and money launderers operating out of Colombia and also Mexico.The AUC was created two decades ago by landowners and cocaine cartels to battle leftist rebels who held sway over much of Colombia's countryside, though it quickly morphed into one of the country's biggest drug-trafficking organizations.Colombia's civil conflict is now in its fifth decade. More than 30,000 paramilitary fighters have demobilized since 2003 as part of a peace effort that saw many warlords surrender to the Colombian government.

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Richard Paul Hurley,was charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and two counts possession for the purpose of trafficking

Richard Paul Hurley, 30, of Sault Ste. Marie, was charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and two counts possession for the purpose of trafficking. Wendel Eino Maki, 53, of the Sault, was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of Oxycodone for the purpose of trafficking and possession of OxyContin for the purpose of trafficking. Police would not release the civic address of either accused.

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Leidimar Guedes faces charges of driving with a suspended license, resisting arrest, drug violation near a park or school zone

Narcotics detectives set up surveillance outside Café Belo at 120 Washington St., an area that drug dealing suspect Leidimar Guedes frequently visits, according to police.Detectives had obtained a Somerville District Court warrant to search Guedes and his car two days earlier, according to police reports.At about 7:30 p.m., Guedes drove up in his 2001 gray Acura on New Washington Street, parked on the side of the road and got out of the car.When detectives James Hyde and Detective Michael Brown exited their car with badges displayed, Guedes allegedly tried to run, but Hyde grabbed Guedes and wrestled him to the ground, according to police reports.
Hyde allegedly found three plastic bags of cocaine in Guedes’ left front pants pocket, and police also seized five separate stacks of cash totaling $478, a $100 check and a black Sprint Sanyo cell phone found in Guedes’ right front pocket.
When investigators searched Guedes’ gray 2001 Acura, they allegedly found a plastic sandwich bag containing seven plastic bags of cocaine under the driver’s floor mat. Cops also seized a Motorola Nextel cell phone and another Sprint Sanyo cell phone from Guedes’ car.
Police said Guedes’ money and his car would be subject to forfeiture proceedings due to the drug dealing charges.Guedes, 29, of 50 Cushing St., Medford, faces charges of driving with a suspended license, resisting arrest, drug violation near a park or school zone and Class B drug possession with intent to distribute.

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Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit

Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit - he bought the class A drug in bulk, and sold hundreds of pounds worth of the substance to acquaintances.Appearing at Ely courthouse on Thursday, 56-year-old Swift, of Victoria Street, Littleport, admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, and possessing cannabis on August 7.When police went to Swift's flat, he handed over a blue tin of herbal cannabis and a pot containing cocaine, said prosecutor Yetunde Fawehinmi.A search of the property followed, and more drugs were found, along with a roll of banknotes.When arrested, Swift said he used herbal cannabis to help himself come off cocaine, and bought 0.75 of an ounce of cocaine for between £1,000 and £1,200. He reckoned that about £400 of the cash had come from selling cocaine.
Solicitor Adam Haselhurst said: "He tells me he had a serious cocaine habit for seven years, but has not taken any for the last eight weeks. He did have a habit that he had to fund."He was not selling for commercial gain, but to fund his own habit. He bought in bulk and sold to acquaintances, it was social supply rather than selling out on the street to all and sundry."Swift is in poor health, and suffers from emphysema, he said."Being arrested is perhaps the best thing that has happened to him, he is now engaged with the community drugs intervention programme."
The court committed Swift for sentence at Cambridge Crown Court.

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Austin, 26, and Tameka Shanta Goldstone were both jailed under $750,000 bonds after law enforcement seized about 56 grams of heroin and $3,000

Austin, 26, and Tameka Shanta Goldstone were both jailed under $750,000 bonds after law enforcement seized about 56 grams of heroin and $3,000 in currency from them, according to the police report. The corporal confirmed that both Ms. Goldstone and
Austin were in the car when the arrest occurred. Ms. Goldstone and Austin told police they were a couple, the narcotics corporal said. Investi-gators would not comment about the length of the investigation or facts not pertaining to a news release because the two arrests are part of an ongoing investigation. Future arrests related to the investigation are a possibility, the narcotics corporal said

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Terry McDonald was caught in a classroom trying to use heroin

Terry McDonald. was an art teacher at Bruns Avenue Elementary School until his arrest, followed by his resignation.
"It's a progressive illness and over years and years of lying and being dishonest about where you are, denying, it'll catch you one way or the other. I knew that was going to happen and it did," said McDonald.
It happened in June of 2007. Police say McDonald was caught in a classroom trying to use heroin. "When you're in full addiction, full blown addiction, if you miss your schedule that you have arranged for your body, you find yourself having to do things in very dangerous ways. And that's what I did," he said.
For him, that was rock bottom and what he needed to turn things around.
"I'm amazed that there is help for addicts who have to get help when they get it, which is usually getting in some trouble. Guess it had to happen that way," he said.
In a Mecklenburg County courtroom, McDonald accepted a plea deal. He pled guilty to felony possession of heroin, but got another possession of drug paraphernalia charge dismissed. He has also completed a drug treatment program since his arrest. "I can now say how much I deeply regret the stress I've caused the community, but particularly, the children,” McDonald said. But this wasn’t the first time he was arrested on drug-related charges. In 2005, he was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia in Buncombe County. "I respect teaching very much so another reason that I regret what happened," he said. As part of McDonald’s plea agreement, he won’t have to spend any time in jail, but he will have to serve 24 months of supervised probation.

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Albert Montoya Briseno was arrested for Possession of Heroin for Sales, Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Ex-Felon in Possession of Ammunition

Albert Montoya Briseno, Hispanic male, 52 years. As a result of the vehicle stop, CAL-MMET officers obtained a search warrant for Briseno's residence and business (C&F Automotive) located at 1109 Stockton. During the search officers located 20 grams of heroin, two firearms, and $3,030 in U.S. currency. Briseno was arrested for Possession of Heroin for Sales, Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Ex-Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Two additional suspects who were mechanics at the business identified as Luis Enrique Garzon Jr., Hispanic male, 42 years, and Joaquin Hernandez Mendoza, Hispanic male, 53 years, were arrested for being Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance. CAL-MMET (California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team) is comprised of officers from the Kern County Sheriff's Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Shafter Police Department and Kern County Probation Department.

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Ryan Ashley Glenn, 30,is accused of possessing more than three grams of heroin he allegedly was planning to sell.

Ryan Ashley Glenn, 30, who taught at a high school and coached seventh-graders in the Frenship district southwest of Lubbock, was indicted Monday. He is accused of possessing more than three grams of heroin he allegedly was planning to sell.
A call to his attorney, Chuck Lanehart, was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Glenn was arrested July 31 after an employee at a commercial shipping store called police to say he’d found drugs in a box a man was trying to have sent in the mail.
Glenn, who had worked for the school district for two years, resigned the day after his arrest.Police have said they found heroin, other drugs and drug paraphernalia at Glenn’s apartment that day.Five days later, police seized 50 marijuana plants from a home owned by Glenn, police have said. Glenn was renovating the home at the time and wasn’t living there.Glenn posted $27,000 bond and was released from jail in August.

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Mario Berdiel, 57,pulled over by Lorain police after he was seen leaving a suspected drug house that narcotics officers had under surveillance.

Mario Berdiel, 57, was given intervention in lieu of conviction Monday after pleading guilty to possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia for his April arrest. If he completes one year of probation, the charges will be dropped, said his attorney, Mike Duff. Berdiel was pulled over by Lorain police after he was seen leaving a suspected drug house that narcotics officers had under surveillance. He was stopped after police saw him run a stop sign. Inside Berdeil’s vehicle, officers found a small bundle of heroin. Berdiel, who was hired by the city in January, was still in his probationary period and was immediately fired after his arrest. Duff said Berdiel is cleaning up his life. “He had an addiction problem,” he said. “He’s beaten it, and he’s going to stay clean and sober.”

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Arthur Ziegler,charged with fourth-degree felony possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia

Arthur Ziegler, 24, of Mansfield-Lucas Road, was charged with fourth-degree felony possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, police reported. Reports said officers found a crack pipe in Ziegler's pocket after he was stopped in the 200 block of Hedges Street.A police dog was summoned after syringes were spotted in the car, according to police reports. The suspected heroin, found under the seat, and crack pipe were turned into the crime lab.

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Emeka Ezennaya, Aliozor Jude Chinedu, Okechi Jude Eze, Anamodo John Paul and Chidike Deacon Okechukwu,arrested

Emeka Ezennaya, Aliozor Jude Chinedu, Okechi Jude Eze, Anamodo John Paul and Chidike Deacon Okechukwu. Others were Kingsley Ifeanyi, Onyemechi Ohakwe, Uche Teddy Egwuogu, and Ezenwankwo Albert. The suspects were between the age bracket of 21 and 44 years. Preliminary investigations conducted by the agency revealed that five of the suspects were living in Europe as unskilled labourers.It was also discovered that three of the suspects ingested the drugs in Lagos and flew to Abuja to connect a KLM flight to their destinations. Hamza warned drug traffickers not to go close to any of the four international airports in the country with drugs, otherwise they would be caught and end up shamefully “like their cohorts who were now gnashing their teeth in detention.” He said, “From January to date, 87 suspected drug traffickers have been arrested at the Abuja airport. Out of this number, 44 have been successfully convicted by the law courts while 43 cases are at various levels of trial.” He stressed that the addition of the United States-made body scanners to the stock of existing X-ray machines had made the airports invincible to drug traffickers. “All four international airports in the country today are fully equipped such that any drug suspect passing through them should prepare his or her mind for arrest and prosecution”. Ezenwankwo Albert, 35, who was arrested during the screening of passengers on KLM flight to Amsterdam on October 4, 2008, confessed to have swallowed 80 pieces of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.5 kilogrammes. Albert, a resident of 32 Babington Street, Okota, Lagos, hails from Orunba Local Government Area of Anambra State.

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Louis Tomassini Jr, Anthony Bogart,Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine were Louis Tomassini Jr., 42, Rensselaer Falls, Anthony Bogart, 26, Lisbon, and Naomi Walters, 41, New York City.Charged with conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute marijuana were Mr. Tomassini, Nicole Tomassini, 36, of Rensselaer Falls, and Bradley Howe, 35, of Rensselaer Falls.Mr. Tomassini also was charged with carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.If convicted, all of them could face significant prison time and large fines U.S. Magistrate Judge David E. Peebles ruled Monday in Syracuse that Mr. Tomassini, Mr. Bogart and Ms. Walters be jailed without bail, while Ms. Tomassini and Mr. Howe were released with specific conditions, prosecutors said. St. Lawrence County District Attorney Nicole M. Duve said the large seizure of weapons and drugs shows an increasing danger to drug enforcement efforts in the north country.As part of the ongoing war on drugs in the north country, Ms. Duve was appointed special U.S. attorney last October. She has used those powers occasionally.Mr. Katko said his office became involved when requested by Ms. Duve and will assist her with the case. Both said they believed federal charges were the most appropriate course.
Authorities said they didn't know where the cocaine originated from or whether the weapons were registered. The investigation is ongoing.In the Heuvelton raid, Brandon M. Kinch, 23, and Megan N. Ferguson, 18, both of 100B State St., were each charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, the St. Lawrence County sheriff's department said.County task force members and state police mobile response team executed a search warrant and turned up more than three ounces of cocaine, 36 packets of heroin and 72 tablets of 80 milligram Oxycodone. The search also found two guns and more than $20,000 in cash.Both were arraigned in Oswegatchie Town Court, with Mr. Kinch sent to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $10,000 cash or $20,000 bail bond. Ms. Ferguson was jailed on $5,000 cash or $10,000 bail bond.Two U.S. Border Patrol K-9 units assisted in the search.

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Davinder Singh of Delta, and Thai Hoang Nguyen of Surrey, were denied bail last week after allegedly attempting to buy 85 kilo of cocaine

Davinder Singh of Delta, and Thai Hoang Nguyen of Surrey, were denied bail last week in Bakersfield, Calif., after allegedly attempting to buy 85 kilos of cocaine with almost $1.5 million U.S.U.S. authorities also announced charges last week against six Canadians - including four from B.C. - after a two-year investigation into another multi-million dollar smuggling ring.Three of the B.C. accused - Shane Kelter, Walther Edgardo (Sharky) Orellana Aguilar and John (Keith) Wark - have not been extradited, while a fourth - Jason I. Ming Wei - was picked up at Los Angeles International Airport Sept. 28 and remains in custody.Trucker Saran told U.S. officials after he was arrested last Wednesday that he had left his truck unattended for several hours at the New Westminster office of Concord Transportation where anyone could have placed the pills in his load.But U.S. special agent Ruirk Pitstick refuted that claim in court documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun."I know that drug traffickers do not normally entrust large quantities of drugs to unwitting or unknowing couriers," Pitstick said. "This is true because an unknowing courier might inadvertently discover the drugs and turn them over to the police."In the Singh-Nguyen bust, agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration followed the Canadians and two American associates, Sokha Bhopal and Vath Lim, last month as they allegedly arranged and completed a cocaine for cash deal worth $1,487,500 U.S.A tip about the deal came from a confidential informant who told the DEA that Bhopal was looking to buy cocaine from Mexico. The DEA then engaged in a sting in which an agent posed as the cocaine supplier arranging meetings and phonecalls with the suspects through the informant.
"As the negotiations continued, it became apparent that Nguyen was the primary individual attempting to purchase cocaine," Special Agent Trent O'Neill said in his affidavit. "Nguyen indicated he was having difficulty locating his 'accountant' to obtain the money...Nguyen indicated he would be ready with the money for the cocaine transaction on Friday, Sept. 19, 2008."As the DEA watched clandestinely, the four men allegedly packed the money into two separate vehicles and met the agent in the parking lot of a restaurant.
On Oct. 2, a grand jury indicted the two Canadians and their associates with "conspiracy to distribute cocaine" and "attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine."

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Jasbir Singh Saran was arrested late Wednesday as he attempted to cross the border to Blaine in his tractor-trailer containing 200,000 ecstasy pills

Surrey trucker Jasbir Singh Saran was arrested late Wednesday as he attempted to cross the border to Blaine in his tractor-trailer containing more than 200,000 ecstasy pills - worth an estimated $2 million - hidden behind boxes of toilet paper.
The 32-year-old was driving for Concord Transportation, a company that is a certified member of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, meaning "certified trailers are supposed to be sealed from the time they are loaded until they reach their final destination," according to U.S. court documents.Saran has been ordered held in custody until his next court appearance.

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Jaime Castellar,ran a heroin mill in the basement of a rented house in Pennsauken

Jaime Castellar, 32, also was ordered to serve five years of probation after he is released. Castellar was one of several people who ran a heroin mill in the basement of a rented house in Pennsauken in 2005 and 2006. Authorities said the heroin processed there was spiked with fentanyl, a powerful painkiller that intensifies the effects of the heroin and can lead to fatal overdoses.Fentanyl-laced heroin is said to have been responsible for more than 100 deaths in the Philadelphia region in 2006. Though investigators could not determine whether Castellar was the only source of the heroin that caused the overdoses, authorities said fentanyl-related deaths declined sharply after Castellar's arrest in September 2006.At today's sentencing in U.S. District Court in Camden, Castellar apologized to the government and to his family. Several relatives attended the proceedings, including Castellar's 5-year-old son."I apologize for putting them in this situation," Castellar said, putting his hands to his face and appearing to become choked up. "I've learned my lesson. I got my son out there being raised without a father, which is something I've been through."Castellar has said he and at least six others packaged heroin in bulk to sell to other dealers and in smaller bags for street sales.Castellar came to the authorities' attention in July 2006, after a naked man ran from the Union Avenue house, yelling for help and claiming that gunmen had invaded the building. Employees of heroin mills typically work naked to prevent theft.Neighbors called the police, who found blood at the house and signs that heroin was being processed there.Castellar, who has been inprisoned since his arrest, pleaded guilty in April 2007 to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. Today, Judge Noel L. Hillman urged Castellar to use his time in prison to rehabilitate himself.
"You will still have a chance to be a good father," Hillman said. "You still have a chance to be a positive and meaningful role model to your son and your family after you serve this term."

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Leroy Carr,convicted in U.S. District Court in Seattle of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

Leroy Carr, 47, of Federal Way, Washington, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Seattle of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. The jury deliberated ten hours after a four day jury trial. CARR was arrested September 15, 2007, about 100 yards south of the Sumas Port of Entry after multiple interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) personnel. CARR faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez on January 16, 2009.

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Carthon Lee Merrick has used his Southwest airlines flying privileges to make 388 smuggling trips

Southwest Airlines employee has been smuggling cocaine onto flights between Houston and Baltimore.The employee, Carthon Lee Merrick, who lives in the greater Houston area, is a baggage handler for the airline.According to a federal indictment, he's being charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute.The indictment says that since 2001 Merrick has used his Southwest airlines flying privileges to make 388 smuggling trips between the two cities. He was finally nabbed earlier this year coming off a flight in Houston, where authorities found him in possession of $79,122 in cash.He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and could get life in prison.

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Dallas Brooks Shrimpton had taken his daily methadone prescription and Codral Cold and Flu tablets, Panadeine Forte and four painkillers

Dallas Brooks Shrimpton, 45, of Lochiel Road, appeared in Kogarah Local Court last month, where he was sentenced for six charges, all relating to the same incident on September 14 last year.Magistrate Sharon Holdsworth said Shrimpton had taken his daily methadone prescription and Codral Cold and Flu tablets, Panadeine Forte and four painkillers that were for his dog, to dull the pain he suffered from two previous car accidents.Magistrate Holdsworth said Shrimpton then drove his car on West Botany Street, Rockdale, and crashed into the back of another car, causing that vehicle to hit another car.Shrimpton left the scene but returned later and punched one of the drivers who was talking on his phone.He then tried to hit the second driver but missed. ``Police tried to intervene and he took exception to their involvement,'' Magistrate Holdsworth said. Magistrate Holdsworth said there was nodoubt the drugs contributed to Shrimpton's ``erratic and bizarre behaviour''.
``It's fortunate that no one was more seriously injured,'' she said.Shrimpton pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, resisting a police officer, two counts of common assault, negligent driving and driving under the influence.
Magistrate Holdsworth said the fact that he had no previous convictions for violence had saved him from going to jail.He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service and fined $1300. He was also put on a 12-month good behaviour bond and banned from driving for a year.

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Ambrozine Heron, 77, and Paulette Chambers, 49, jailed for 13 years.

Ambrozine Heron, 77, and Paulette Chambers, 49, were stopped by customs officers at Dover in March after travelling from France. A search of Heron's adapted Nissan Pathfinder uncovered 16kg of uncut cocaine stashed in carrier bags on the back seat, hidden inside tins of palm oil.Sentencing the pair at Canterbury crown court, the judge, Adele Williams, described Heron - who has diabetes, asthma and hypertension - as a "willing participant" in the crime."I have no doubt that your role in the car was to add some respectability to the journey in respect of your age and your ill health," the judge said. The court heard that the pair, from Smethwick, near Birmingham, were likely to have smuggled drugs into the UK on several other occasions, as they had made the same or similar journey 14 times in the six months before their arrest. Financial checks revealed that £90,000 in cash had been put in Chambers' bank account since their first trip.Quentin Hunt, prosecuting, said Chambers, a mother of three, told customs officers they had been visiting relatives in France when they were stopped at about 11.30am on March 21."In fact they had gone to Amsterdam, or near Amsterdam, and it was clear that that was where the drugs were collected from," Hunt said. "For the majority of the trips they had been going through France, through Belgium, and into Holland, and returning the next day or soon after."Defence lawyers for the mother and daughter asked the judge to take into account their ages and previous good character, as well as Heron's ill health.
Williams said: "The sympathy of the court cannot be engaged in that way. Those who import class A drugs into the United Kingdom commit a very serious offence. Cocaine is a dangerous and pernicious drug capable of causing havoc in people's lives."
Edmund Anderson, who was driving the vehicle when the two women were stopped, was acquitted of any involvement. Chambers admitted the crime and Heron was found guilty by a jury.

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Anthony Monger, was jailed for four years, eight months

Surrey Police smashed drugs ring after a series of undercover stings, which allowed officers access to the gang’s network, and the drugs. Five members of a drugs ring, which supplied vast quantities of cocaine to areas across South East England, were jailed for a total of 20 years yesterday.A police spokesman said: “One of the gang, Anthony Monger, appeared to have no legitimate means of income and quickly became apparent that he was willing and able to source and supply large quantities of high quality cocaine at substantial prices.” Officers then tracked his girlfriend, Samala Willoughby-Greystoke, who led them to Kingston, and to Richard Ward, who supplied Monger with cocaine stored at his home. After collecting the drugs Monger sold them to an undercover officer at The Jovial Sailor pub, Guildford. The spokesman said: “The first supplies were of 80 per cent purity but this reduced to a low of 29 per cent in subsequent supplies. “As Monger supplied increasingly more cocaine, often in excess of two ounces at a time, it was clear that he was a well established cocaine supplier within a large network of suppliers, spanning a number of counties.” The web got wider when officers followed a lead to Brighton where Rupert Hugill was identified as a supplier. Another undercover officer met with his associate Steve Perry, who supplied nine ounces of cocaine from a South Croydon home - which was owned by another man, Terry King. The five were sentenced at Guildford Crown Court, after pleading guilty to drugs charges at a previous hearing.
Monger, 32, of no fixed abode, was jailed for four years, eight months. Hugill, 35, of Brighton, received four years. Perry, 41, from Hove got five years, eight months. King, 43, of Sundale Avenue, South Croydon was jailed for three years, four months and Willoughby-Greystoke, 31, of no fixed abode, received a two year suspended sentence. A sixth gang member, Richard Ward, 51, of Acre Road, Kingston, will be sentenced on October 27. Detective Inspector Pete Fulton, of Surrey Police’s Serious Crime Investigation Team, said: “The result of this case demonstrates the commitment of Surrey Police to bring drug dealers to justice. The case highlights how the drugs supply industry has created a web of contacts across the South East of England. By breaking up this web Surrey Police will have had a major impact on the availability of cocaine in the county. “The police officers involved in this extensive operation should be congratulated on their professional approach to what was a difficult and dangerous case. It demonstrates that such criminals may travel around but they cannot hide. If we suspect that someone from outside our county is committing crime in Surrey, we will target them.”

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Richard Paul HURLEY,Wendel Eino MAKI,Michael Jose Rosa EVARISTO,Trafficking in Cocaine

Richard Paul HURLEY, 30, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is facing two
counts of Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, one count of
Trafficking in Cocaine and one count of Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine.
Wendel Eino MAKI, 53, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is facing one count of
Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, one count of Possession
of Oxycodone for the Purpose of Trafficking and one count of Possession of
Oxycontin for the Purpose of Trafficking.Michael Jose Rosa EVARISTO, 48, of Shanty Bay, Ontario is facing one
count of Trafficking in Cocaine.All three are scheduled to appear at the Sault Ste. Marie ProvincialCourt on Monday the 6th of October, 2008.

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Arrested Alex Melani (known as 'Maquan') and his wife Willemien were allegedly processing about 600 grams of cocaine into crack cocaine.

Arrested Alex Melani (known as 'Maquan') and his wife Willemien were allegedly processing about 600 grams of cocaine into crack cocaine."We confiscated everything, and sealed up the drugs, and all the tools used to make the crack - all for evidence," Shilongo said.The couple appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on Friday.It was the third drug bust at the coast last week.

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David Zier,and Shane Kitts arrested on a charge of possession of heroin

David Zier, 29, 435 Scranton Ave., was arrested on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, permitting drug abuse and two counts of possession of heroin.
Shane Kitts, 28, 404 E. Church St., was arrested on a charge of possession of heroin.
A woman who was with the men had swallowed an unknown amount of heroin and was transported to Marion General Hospital. Charges of tampering with evidence and possession of heroin will be submitted to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office for review.The MARMET-METRICH Drug Task Force was assisted on the investigation by officers from the Marion City Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Office, as well as Marion County Adult Probation Department and Adult Parole Authority.

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Preston Beverly is being held on charges of drug possession, resisting arrest

Officers recognized Preston Beverly and tried to arrest him outside the gates of the stadium. They say Beverly then ran into an open field. Amsterdam police say a man wanted for failing to show up in court, showed up to the Amsterdam high football game with 37 bags of heroin on him. When police caught up to him, they say he refused to be handcuffed.One of those officers was hurt and then treated at St. Mary's hospital with a leg injury. Beverly is being held on charges of drug possession, resisting arrest, and his original charge, failure to appear.

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Jacinto Muñoz and Jose H.Cruz arrested on suspicion of transportation and possession of methamphetamine for sale.

Richmond and San Pablo police, officers served search warrants at the Richmond home of suspected drug trafficker Jacinto Muñoz, 33, of Richmond, and associated homes in Richmond and El Sobrante. Detained by Richmond police, a search of a vehicle occupied by Muñoz and a second suspect Jose H. Cruz, 40, of El Sobrante revealed a pound of methamphetamine packaged for sale. A search of three associated homes revealed methamphetamine, methamphetamine manufacturing materials and more than $60,000 in suspected drug proceeds, police said. A handgun was also located by a third suspect, Benjamin Castellaños, 29, of Richmond, who is a convicted felon. Muñoz and Cruz were both arrested on suspicion of transportation and possession of methamphetamine for sale. Castellaños was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. All of the suspects were booked into the Contra Costa County jail in Martinez.

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Harinder Kaur and her husband Raminder Singh During the frisking of luggage of couple 3.73 kilograms heroin was seized.

Harinder Kaur (58) and her husband Raminder Singh (60) who had already occupied their seats and plane was ready to take off but on the request of DRI, flight was delayed and couple was asked to get down from the flight. During the frisking of luggage of couple 3.73 kilograms heroin was seized.Accoring to the Airport official, flight was already reached on the runway and ready to take off but on the intervention of DRI team a wireless message was flashed to pilot to hold flight to take off.Interestingly, the luggage of the alleged accused couple was frisked twice by the Custom official through the x-ray machine and second time luggage was scanned in another x-ray machine supervised by the Indian Airlines. However, both the time their luggage was cleared. DRI official informed that couple was from Nakodar town near Jallandhar district was going to Toronto from Amritsar Rajasansi Airport.Nearly 176 passengers were on board, when flight was ready to take off at 9.00 a.m. in the morning. Flight was allowed to take off after 9.30 a.m. half and hour delayed from the scheduled time after the arrest of alleged accused couple carrying drug o Toronto. According to the DRI sources, the female Harinder Kaur (58) and her husband Raminder Singh (60) who had already occupied their seats and plane was ready to take off but on the request of DRI, flight was delayed and couple was asked to get down from the flight. During the frisking of luggage of couple 3.73 kilograms heroin was seized.Accoring to the Airport official, flight was already reached on the runway and ready to take off but on the intervention of DRI team a wireless message was flashed to pilot to hold flight to take off.Interestingly, the luggage of the alleged accused couple was frisked twice by the Custom official through the x-ray machine and second time luggage was scanned in another x-ray machine supervised by the Indian Airlines. However, both the time their luggage was cleared. DRI official informed that couple was from Nakodar town near Jallandhar district was going to Toronto from Amritsar Rajasansi Airport.Nearly 176 passengers were on board, when flight was ready to take off at 9.00 a.m. in the morning. Flight was allowed to take off after 9.30 a.m. half and hour delayed from the scheduled time after the arrest of alleged accused couple carrying drug o Toronto.

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Carthon Lee Merrick, 34, made 388 free trips on Southwest between the two cities,

Carthon Lee Merrick, 34, made 388 free trips on Southwest between the two cities, but authorities only began their investigation last year, when he made 100 trips.
In January, authorities caught him with nearly $80,000 in cash as he stepped off a plane at Hobby Airport in Houston. He was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on Sept. 25. Also charged are his alleged cocaine suppliers: Emilio Flores, 33, of Deer Park, and Jaime Garza, 32, a Mexican national illegally in the U.S.According to authorites in Houston, a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of Flores, who is expected to surrender to federal authorities. Garza is currently in state custody awaiting trial on state drug charges, they say.All three are expected to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley on Friday, Oct. 3.If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, without parole, and a maximum fine of $4 million.

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David George Hartley, 41, from Mansfield, Notts, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for murder

David George Hartley, 41, from Mansfield, Notts, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for the murder in June, 2002, of Danish holidaymaker Paul Pedersen.
He was also sentenced to a further two years imprisonment for stealing 200 euros - then worth about £135 - from his victim after strangling him.Hartley denied the charges.The written sentence was published at the Barcelona provincial court today following Hartley's conviction by a jury of nine at the end of a five-day trial last month.Hartley met Pedersen at a campsite near Barcelona airport in June, 2002. They became friends and shared the same tent, the court heard.
"Witnesses from the campsite said they were always together," says the written sentence.On the night of June 23, the jury heard during the trial, Hartley attacked the Dane while he slept. He was strangled and 200 euros were stolen from his pocket. Hartley fled, first to Benidorm and then back to Britain.
He was arrested in Nottinghamshire in the autumn and extradited to Spain two years later. The court heard when the trial opened that Hartley had been in custody for nearly six years.
The written judgement says that the jury found it had been proved that Hartley had grabbed his tent mate's neck in a stranglehold fully aware that he was likely to kill him.The jury had also believed the testimonies of two British witnesses who said that Hartley had told them about the killing.Former girlfriend Anne Trout said that Hartley, whom the court heard was a drug user and habitual drinker, had told her he believed he had strangled a man in Spain, but was not sure.
Alan Burns told the court how Hartley confessed to him over a drink in a bar in Benidorm. Weeping, Hartley said he had strangled a man at a campsite after "an indecent suggestion" was made, Mr. Burns said.When the trial opened Hartley denied killing Pedersen and stealing his money. But he refused to testify.His defence lawyer said there was no evidence to prove the allegations and asked the jury to acquit Hartley.

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The Latin Kings are the best-known among the Hispanic youth gangs that have formed in Spain among the immigrants from its former colonies.

They call themselves kings and queens. They rule over streets they have named the Inca, Aztec or Hispanic kingdom. They believe in God, honour and brotherhood. And whoever breaks the code of silence, does so at his own risk. The Latin Kings are the best-known among the Hispanic youth gangs that have formed in Spain among the immigrants from its former colonies. Gradually, Spanish police experts are beginning to understand the mentality of the street gangs born or based on models in poor and crime-infested neighbourhoods in the Americas. The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation was initially formed to help and defend Latin American immigrants in the Chicago area of the United States in the 1940s. Its members later became involved in violent crimes. The Spanish branch of the Latin Kings was launched in 2000 by the young Ecuadorian Eric Velastegui, known as King Wolverine, who is now serving a prison sentence for rape. US leaders of the Latin Kings visiting Spain, however, have downplayed the group's violent reputation, and evidence from the north-eastern region of Catalonia suggests that such gangs have the potential of being transformed into constructive social forces. The Latin Kings' big rival in Spain are the Netas, a gang founded in the prisons of Puerto Rico in the 1970s. Other gangs include Dominican Don't Play (DDP), many of whose members come from the Dominican Republic. The Madrid DDP has begun to sell drugs and acquired firearms, the daily El Pais reported. Recently, evidence has even emerged of the presence in Catalonia of the Mara Salvatrucha and the Mara 18, Central American groups known for their extreme violence. In the Madrid region alone, the number of gang members tripled in three years to about 1,300 by 2007, police estimated. Nearly 300 of them were regarded as violent. The main gangs, which are present in several cities across Spain, are hierarchically structured, tribe-like organizations. They are characterized by mystical symbols, an ethos of religiosity and machoism, and an ideology of defending the Latin American identity against an environment perceived as racist and hostile.
The Latin Kings, for instance, wear rap-style clothes and black-and-gold bead necklaces. Their symbol of a five-point crown represents respect, honesty, unity, knowledge and love. The gangs tend to place women in a secondary role, with the Latin Kings as the only one to have a female section. Many of the gangs have a double nature, with leisure activities such as football alternating with robberies or extortion which new members can be ordered to commit as a kind of initiation rite. Dozens of gang members have been detained on charges ranging from kidnappings and threats to attacks and killings. Most of the violence takes place between rival gangs, but former members have also told courts about the beatings faced by those who break the internal rules. "We were told to pay 1,200 euros (1,700 dollars), or we'd be burned alive," two girls who had tried to leave the Latin Kings told a Madrid judge. The growth of the gangs is based on the rapid increase of Latin American immigration to Spain. The overall number of immigrants has soared from 1.8 per cent of the Spanish population in 1990 to more than 10 per cent. The largest groups include 420,000 Ecuadorians and 260,000 Colombians. "Immigrants never see their children, because they work 23 hours a day. The kids are on the street, in search of a (new) family," King Mission, a US representative of the Latin Kings, explained during a visit to Spain. Gangs like the Latin Kings also give a sense of purpose and self-esteem to youths who may come from neighbourhoods riddled with gang violence in their own countries, grew up without their parents who emigrated before them, and who are now struggling with the difficulties of adapting to a foreign culture. In 2007, Latin street gangs did not commit any killings in Spain for the first time in several years. The decline was attributed to police crackdowns and, in some regions, to attempts to integrate the gangs into Spanish society.
While the conservative Madrid authorities outlawed the Latin Kings in 2007, liberal Catalonia took the opposite approach, giving them the status of a cultural association.
Representatives of the Latin Kings and Netas even visited the regional parliament, explaining to legislators that they were planning to make joint musical recordings to bury their hostilities. International experts on street gangs have hailed Catalonia's ground-breaking approach, but it has not entirely eradicated inter-gang violence.

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Roland Parsons, 34, and Jose Barbosa, 46,.charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute

Roland Parsons, 34, and Jose Barbosa, 46, of Providence, R.I.Parsons was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and selling drugs in a school zone while Barbosa was charged with heroin possession, intent to distribute heroin, selling drugs in a school zone and cocaine possession.
Once in the apartment, officers found black plastic bags with white powdery substances believed to be heroin. Beside Parsons on his bed was a plastic bag containing heroin residue.Parsons told police Barbosa had been staying in the apartment for the past few weeks, giving Parsons free heroin in exchange for rent.
When Barbosa was being taken out of the cruiser at the station, an officer noticed Barbosa trying to stuff a bag containing cocaine residue into the seat buckle, at which point Barbosa was charged with possession of cocaine.
According to the report, 10 neighbors who had gathered outside on the street applauded officers as they were leaving in response to the drug activity occurring at the apartment.

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Luis Apontes speech sounded muffled, then noticed what looked like a bag in his mouth.

Police officer approached Luis Aponte, 45, of Belmont, because he knew there was a warrant for Aponte's arrest. He reported Aponte's speech sounded muffled, then noticed what looked like a bag in his mouth. After a brief foot chase and struggle, police said Aponte took bags from his mouth and threw them on the ground. Police said they found two plastic bags that contained 5 smaller bags of cocaine and 14 bags of heroin.

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John Bachta, 37,15-year veteran of the Essex County Sheriff's Department was charged with a single count of possession of heroin

15-year veteran of the Essex County Sheriff's Department was put on unpaid administrative leave after his arrest Saturday on a heroin possession chargeJohn Bachta, 37, of Methuen was arrested about 12:25 p.m., near 85 Main St., in Tewksbury and was charged with a single count of possession of heroin.He was later released on bail for arraignment in Lowell District Court."As soon as this department received information of the arrest, Mr. Bachta was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation that is ongoing at this time," Fleming said.Bachta began his career with the Sheriff's Department in May 1993 as a corrections officer at Middleton Jail, Fleming said.
He was promoted to sergeant in September 1999, and began working in the department's security and investigations unit in July 2001, Fleming said."He has had no disciplinary record during his tenure here," Fleming said.Bachta is the son of retired Lawrence police Deputy Chief Stanley Bachta.

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Sean Erez, 38, and Evgene Starchik, 24, were convicted after a three-week trial

Sean Erez, 38, and Evgene Starchik, 24, were convicted after a three-week trial which heard key evidence from Erez's ex-girlfriend, Nataly Abitan, 30.
The former Montreal bank manager came to Toronto with Erez on the 2006 Canada Day long weekend and was with him when gunmen opened fire on the 28th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle hotel. After responding to a call about the shooting, police found four kilograms of cocaine in the ice room that Abitan said she had earlier seen in the hotel room the three had shared. No arrests were made in the shooting.
"I am happy for Ms. Abitan, who was an important Crown witness, because her credibility was attacked by the defence but by its verdict the jury found her evidence to be trustworthy and reliable," senior federal Crown attorney George Lennox said after the jury delivered its verdict.
In 2001, Erez pleaded guilty in Brooklyn, N.Y., to masterminding an international Ecstasy smuggling ring that used Hasidic Jews as drug couriers. He was sentenced to 15 years but was transferred to Canada in 2005 and released shortly after.
Lennox said he will be seeking a lengthy penitentiary sentence for both men.
Superior Court Justice Frances Kiteley rejected Lennox's request to revoke Starchik's bail, saying she was reassured that he won't disappear since he has shown up for court on time every day and police already have all of his travel documents. He is an Isareli citizen who is already facing deportation due to an earlier drug conviction.Erez's lawyer, Michael McLachlan, said he would appeal on a number of grounds. Starchik represented himself.

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Mark William Grayson and John Barnham, who were serving prison sentences in Nottingham and Ashwell

Mark William Grayson and John Barnham, who were serving prison sentences in, respectively, Nottingham and Ashwell for drugs offences. Mr Grayson was convicted of an offence involving the importation of over 28kg of pure heroin with a wholesale value of £1.2 million. Mr Barnham was described during his trial as the lead organiser in an international drug trafficking business. The case concerned the applicants’ complaint that, in confiscation proceedings following their convictions, the English courts in making the confiscation orders assumed that the applicants had hidden assets in addition to the assets established by the prosecution to be in their possession. Thus, the legal burden of proof was on the applicants to show that their realisable property was less than the amount to which they had been assessed to have benefited from drug trafficking. The Court agreed with the domestic courts that it had been compatible with the notion of a fair hearing in criminal proceedings to have placed the onus on each applicant to give a credible account of his current financial situation. Having been proved to have been involved in extensive and lucrative drug dealing over a period of years, it had not been unreasonable to expect the applicants to explain what had happened to all the money shown by the prosecution to have been in their possession. Only the applicants could have had such knowledge and the burden on each of them would not have been difficult to meet if their accounts of their financial affairs had been true.
The Court therefore held unanimously that there had been no violation of article 6.1 in respect of either applicant. The requirement to pay money under a confiscation order therefore having been made in compliance with article 6.1, the Court found that there had been no disproportionate interference with the applicants’ right to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions. Accordingly, it also held, unanimously, that there had been no violation of article 1 of the First Protocol.

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Dexter Thomas, a Tobagonian man who was arrested on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United Kingdom

Dexter Thomas, a Tobagonian man who was arrested on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United Kingdom came close on Tuesday to being extradited to UK to face charges. Trinidadian Judge, Justice Gregory Smith, presiding in the Port-of-Spain High Court, ordered Thomas' immediate release from prison, saying the evidence against the Tobagonian was defective and unreliable, and that it would have been unsafe to send him to London. Thomas, age 40, walked out of the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Tuesday night. The judge also ordered the State to pay Thomas' legal costs. Thomas was one of three Tobagonians held on an extradition warrant in January 2007 on the sister isle and flown to Port-of-Spain. The other two, Oswin Moore and Owen Alfred, gave up the fight and agreed to be extradited to the UK. They have since been flown to London to face trial. They were charged with conspiracy to transport 13 kilogrammes of cocaine to the UK between June 1, 2002, and August 31, 2006.

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Lee Dotson, a member of an O'Donnell Heights gang engaged in a vicious, weeks-long turf war.

Lee Dotson, a member of an O'Donnell Heights gang engaged in a vicious, weeks-long turf war.But the bullet hit his 16-year-old girlfriend, Estefany Gonzalez. Dotson, the only eyewitness to the crime, refused to name her killer.Yesterday Juan Hernandez, the man prosecutors believe killed the former Patterson High School student, entered an Alford plea - an acknowledgment that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict but not an admission of guilt - to second-degree murder and handgun charges. He made the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors for a five-year prison sentence.Hernandez's defense attorney, William Purpura, told Circuit Judge John Addison Howard that a five-year sentence normally would not be "anywhere close to appropriate" for murder. But in this case, because of the lack of witnesses, it was, he said.Estefany Gonzalez Dotson "refused to cooperate in any way with the Baltimore City Police Department," prosecutor Lisa Phelps said. Phelps said the state's second witness did not see the crime but overheard Dotson say that "Juan" had "shot at" him.The second witness was subsequently shot with the same gun used to kill Gonzalez. He is paralyzed from the waist down."The state had difficult evidentiary issues, but if they overcame those, my client faced life in prison," Purpura said.Phelps said that in March 2007 a violent turf war broke out after members of a gang called the Untamed Gorillas beat up a member of the Toone Street Bangers.Prosecutors say the Toone Street gang retaliated, with Hernandez attempting to kill Dotson, a member of the Untamed Gorillas, as he walked through a nearly empty public housing project on the far eastern edge of the city.The bullet struck Gonzalez in the shoulder and then went into her chest. Dotson left her there. A passer-by discovered her in a parking lot in the 6200 block of Toone Street.
Yesterday, Gonzalez's guardian, Gennette Washington, wept as she told Howard that she forgave Hernandez but couldn't forgive herself for allowing Gonzalez to move to Baltimore to live with her father a few months before her death.
"I'm so lost without her," Washington said. "She wasn't my child, but it felt as though she was my baby."Washington's mother, Elba Ortega, took Gonzalez in when she was an infant. When Ortega died in 2001, Washington took guardianship of the 10-year-old. But she wanted to leave her school in Newark, Del., so Washington allowed her to move in with her father on Eastern Avenue, where he had moved after Ortega's death.By the time of the shooting, Gonzalez had been expelled from Patterson High School and was staying with a girlfriend in O'Donnell Heights."She's not my biological sister," Washington said. "My mother raised her, but I wanted to give her the life my mother couldn't give us. A family. A home. I wanted her to be able to grow up ... to graduate from high school, to go to prom, to do things I never got to do. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time.""Maybe he'll change his life," Washington added. "Everyone should get a second chance."Hernandez declined to say anything to the judge, but he was escorted out of the courtroom in tears.Hernandez's five-year sentence will be served without parole, followed by five years of probation. If he violates probation, he could face up to 25 years in prison.

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John Gizzi is serving five-and-a-half-years for violent offences must repay over £2m

£875,000 offer was being considered by an enforcement receiver handling John Gizzi's affairs magistrates in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, were told. Gizzi is serving five-and-a-half-years for violent offences. The criminal builder must repay over £2m of his criminal gains by December, or face an extra seven years in prison.
Gizzi was said by police to have "ruled" Rhyl through threats and intimidations, and he was jailed in 2006 for causing grievous bodily harm and other offences.
His former home, Bronwylfa Hall in St Asaph, was valued at £1.8m in March 2007, when a crown court ordered that he repay £2.6m. It has been reduced twice already. On Wednesday, the court heard he had repaid £318,000 and still owed £2.3m. His solicitor said Gizzi's Rolex watch was to be sold at a specialist auction and his parents had put in an offer for four personalised number plates, originally valued at £45,000. A decision on giving the receiver more time to sell some of the assets was adjourned until December by District Judge Andrew Shaw.

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Travis Henry and James Mack alleged cocaine deal court case

Travis Henry, the former Denver Broncos running back, along with James Mack, was both arrested after an alleged cocaine deal. Henry and Mack were in federal custody on suspicion of knowingly and intentionally conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.The hearing took place on Monday, it was not known if either man had an attorney. Harvey Steinberg has represented Henry in the past. He has refused to return any calls when AP tried to reach him for a comment.
A DEA agent and a trooper had stopped their vehicle which was carrying six pounds of marijuana and about three kilograms of cocaine. There was a third person in the car, whose name has not been disclosed.

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Jerry Merrow criminal record shows his vocation has been as a drug dealer at least for the past two decades

Jerry Merrow, 53, of Bennington, was charged with a felony count of possession of a pound or more of marijuana and misdemeanor counts of possession of less than 2.5 grams of cocaine, possession of less than 100 doses of morphine and possession of less than 100 doses of drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder.However, the marijuana count was modified to charge Merrow as a habitual offender. Court records show that Merrow was convicted three times on felony charges of possession of cocaine in April 1999, May 2004 and October 2005.A person convicted as a habitual offender can be sentenced to up to life in prison.In court on Tuesday, Bennington County Deputy State's Attorney Robert Plunkett asked Judge John Wesley to hold Merrow without bail because Merrow faces life in prison if convicted and because the charges involve a "significant amount of drugs.""Mr. Merrow's criminal record shows his vocation has been as a drug dealer at least for the past two decades," Plunkett said.While Wesley denied the state's request, he increased Merrow's bail from the $20,000 where it had been set during his arrest to $100,000.Wesley said the information in the affidavit that said Merrow admitted to being a drug dealer showed he "poses a not-insignificant risk to the community."In an affidavit, Vermont State Police Trooper Samuel Truex said he had received information from a "concerned citizen" who had provided reliable information in the past.Truex said he learned that Merrow had been growing marijuana outside his room in a Route 9 motel, made daily trips to Troy, N.Y., to pick up crack cocaine to sell in Bennington County and sold marijuana in Bennington and Rutland counties.On Sept. 29, Truex and other troopers with the Vermont State Police searched Merrow's motel room after getting a search warrant.Police said they found about 1.7 pounds of marijuana, 18 morphine pills and about 15 pills used to treat attention deficit disorder.As police were completing their search, a car pulled up which police believed was Merrow's car. After a short pursuit, the car stopped and police found Merrow's wife inside the car, according to the affidavit. She told officers that Merrow had run.Merrow was located by police a short distance away and taken into custody. Police said they found crack cocaine in one of Merrow's pockets.According to the affidavit, Merrow agreed to speak to police at the Vermont State Police Barracks in Shaftsbury.
Truex said Merrow said he smokes up to $1,100 worth of crack a day. Merrow said he used some of the marijuana he grew and sells the rest to pay for the crack.Merrow said he buys morphine pills for $15 to $20 apiece and sells them for $80 to $100 apiece, Truex said.According to the affidavit, Merrow is also facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of marijuana and possession of crack cocaine from an arrest on Sept. 21.Merrow's criminal history includes convictions for possession of marijuana from 1980, 1991, 1999 and 2005 and other drug possession charges in 1999 and 2005.The misdemeanor charges Merrow faces carry a combined maximum penalty of three years.
Merrow is being held at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland.

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Matthew Bryan Jenkins, admitted possessing GHB, a class-C drug

Matthew Bryan Jenkins, of Parry Street, admitted possessing GHB, a class-C drug, and was found guilty of non-payment of fines.The 23-year-old was given a suspended sentence and ordered to settle his remaining debts.
Prosecutor Kelly Smith told Rhondda Magistrates Court: “There was a house party on October 7 last year, where a large number of people attended and a large quantity of drugs were consumed.“At that party a young gentleman, unfortunately, died, and all attendees were interviewed by police.“Jenkins had his home and car searched as a result of this investigation, and a total of 2.89 grammes of cocaine was found.”
Turning to the GHB charge, Miss Smith told the court police were called to follow a suspected drink-driver on May 23.She said: “They followed from the Pentre area to Fforch Close, Treorchy.“Seeing the police Jenkins ran, and was later found by officers in the rear garden of a nearby property.”Nearby, she said, was a bag containing more than an ounce of GHB powder, which Jenkins admitted was his.
“He told officers it was for his own personal use,” Miss Smith said.
“He said he used it as a muscle relaxant after bodybuilding.”He later pleaded guilty to class A and C drug possession.The court heard Jenkins had two previous convictions for drug possession.The first, picked up in 2002, was for cannabis and a second, from April this year, was for cocaine.Defence solicitor Nick Lloyd said his client had a history of substance abuse, but had not touched any drugs except diazepam and temazepam, which he gets on prescription, since May.Presiding magistrate Pamela Grigg handed Jenkins a 12-month community order and a 28-day suspended sentenceShe also ordered him to pay off his remaining fines and contribute £60 to prosecution costs.

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Michael Vinson found with a large amount of both cocaine and marijuana

Michael Vinson is a documented long-time drug and criminal offender from the Berrien County area. He recently made the mistake of trying to ply new territory in Cass County.As a result of the presence of the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team (CCDET), several significant Dowagiac crack cocaine dealers have been arrested and sent to prison in the past year. The Prosecutors office also has a 96 percent jury trial conviction rate against drug offenders who have taken them to trial in the Cass County Circuit Court over the past five years. Other drug offenders connected to the area are now facing federal charges as a result of collaboration between U.S. officials and local law enforcement.Vinson presently lists a home address of 410 Maple Street, Dowagiac.His drug and criminal activity in Berrien County goes back 17 years. Vinson has the following Berrien County convictions: resisting and obstructing a police officer in 1991; delivery of cocaine in 1992; possession of marijuana in 1993; possession of marijuana in 1994; disturbing the peace in 1995; possession of marijuana in 1996; domestic violence in 2001; domestic violence second offense in 2002; domestic violence third offense in 2004; attempted resisting and obstructing a police officer in 2004; possession of marijuana in 2005.
Vinson also has two Cass County convictions: a second offense drug violation in 2005 and receiving and concealing stolen property in 2005.In his current two cases in Cass County the defendant was facing the following charges: two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, two counts of posession with intent to deliver marijuana, maintaining a drug house, posession of marijuana and fleeing and eluding a police officer. He was also charged with being a fourth offense felony offender in each file.Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle was ready to try the first of Vinson's two cases on Tuesday when Vinson abruptly changed his mind and pled guilty.His trial arose from Vinson driving through downtown Dowagiac in the late night hours of Nov. 30, 2007. Cass County Sheriff's Deputies attempted to pull Vinson's 2008 Dodge Sedan for not having a registered license plate. Vinson had other plans and careened through the streets of Dowagiac, at one point turning onto Jay Street from West Railroad where he appeared to be opening his car door.Deputy's thought he was going to attempt to run but Vinson then closed his door and continued onto Oak Street where he eventually stopped. Dowagiac Officers who responded to assist the Cass County Sheriff's Deputy as well as a Cass County Reserve Officer went to the location where Vinson had opened his door on Jay Street and located several individually wrapped baggies of cocaine and a large amount of marijuana in the parking lot.Vinson was also set for trial on Oct. 21. In that case, members of the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team (CCDET) executed a search warrant at Vinson's Maple Street residence on Feb. 13. At his house they found a large amount of both cocaine and marijuana.As part of defendant's plea, the Prosecutor's office agreed that the convictions in each of the two current files would be sentenced concurrently. Lesser included offense charges of cocaine possession and marijuana possession were dismissed administratively.Vohwinkle stated at the conclusion of the case that "Drug dealers will be shown no mercy in Cass County. Sell drugs here and we will send you to prison."

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University officials suspended the Sigma Beta fraternity, stripping it of all related privileges.

Warrant was obtained prior to a search of the 26 Madbury Road frat house, where police found marijuana, Ecstasy, OxyContin * Andrew J. Borges, 20, of 14 Thomas Road, Berkley, Mass., on two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Borges’ bail was set at $15,000 personal recognizance and was scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 6 in Durham District Court.
David N. Mason, 19, of 53 Sanborn Drive, Newfields, was charged with one count of drug possession with intent to distribute. He was released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail and scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 6 in Durham District Court.
John D. Dold, 19, of 1 William Circle, Stratham, is charged with manufacturing a controlled drug (marijuana growing), released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for a Nov. 6 arraignment in Durham District Court.
Michael J. DeAngelo, 19, of 13 Fletcher Road, Westford, Mass., was charged with drug possession and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was released on $800 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for a Nov. 6 arraignment in Durham District Court.
Anthony P. Moccia, 19, of 78 Harglen Lane, Laconia, was charged with drug possession and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was released on $800 personal recognizance bail and also scheduled for a Nov. 6 Durham District Court arraignment.
Matthew W. Bessette, 20, of 22 Angell Road, Lincoln, R.I., is charged with drug possession and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was released on $800 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for an Oct. 23 arraignment in Durham District Court.
David A. Schechter, 20, of 34 Standish Way, Amherst, is charged with drug possession and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was released on $800 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for a Nov. 6 Durham District Court arraignment.
Conor D. Leary, 20, of 15 McKinley St., Leominster, Mass., was charged with possession of a controlled drug and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was also released on $800 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for an Oct. 23 arraignment in Durham District Court.
Jesse K. Boschetto, 19, of 1611 Ocean St., Marshfield, Mass., was arrested for possession of a controlled drug and unlawful possession of alcohol. He was released on $800 personal recognizance bail and scheduled for a Nov. 6 Durham District Court arraignment. Kelley said all of the men arrested at the Sigma Beta fraternity house are UNH students and members of the fraternity. Assisting with their arrests were officers from the Dover, Rochester and Madbury police departments, as well as the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department, said the police chief. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are anticipated, he said.In the wake of the bust, university spokeswoman Kim Billings announced the interim suspension of the fraternity. That suspension is in effect, she said, pending an outcome from the university’s office of conduct and mediation.
As a result, Sigma Beta “is denied all rights and privileges of a recognized student organization, including loss of rights and privileges of membership in the UNH Inter-fraternity Council,” according to Billings

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Alan Ernest Burgoyne was found guilty of being knowingly concerned with the importation of a controlled drug and absconding from a trial

Alan Ernest Burgoyne was initially arrested in January 2003 after his fingerprints were found on packages containing cocaine worth more than £200,000 smuggled into Liverpool Airport from Amsterdam by two Brotherod men, Gary Goulding and Thomas Smith. But 54-year-old Burgoyne, of Newall Street, Littleborough, fled the country while awaiting trial.In 2004 Goulding, of Wycherley Road, and Smith, of Daniel Fold, were jailed for six and seven years respectively.During the case the court heard how Burgoyne, who was said to have family links with Smith, was the ringleader of the professional smuggling team and had pressurised the pair to carry the drugs.
The following year Burgoyne was arrested in Holland and jailed for four years for smuggling 111 kilos of heroin and eight kilos of cocaine into the UK.
On his release this March he was extradited to the UK to face trial for his original arrest.At Manchester Crown Court on Friday he was found guilty of being knowingly concerned with the importation of a controlled drug and absconding from a trial.
Judge Anthony Hammond said: "You have been prepared to live on crime for most of your life. This is a filthy trade damaging those that take the drugs and damaging the wider community because they thieve and commit other offences to pay people like you. You were at a serious point in this conspiracy and clearly controlling others."

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Uchie Nnadi, 36, from the Netherlands, was jailed for four and a half years for attempting to smuggle over 1.2 kilos of cocaine into Northern Ireland

Uchie Nnadi, 36, from the Netherlands, was jailed for four and a half years for attempting to smuggle over 1.2 kilos of cocaine into Northern Ireland in November 2007. He was also ordered to be deported

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Rory Forrester was stopped at Belfast International Airport after arriving from Amsterdam in December.

Rory Forrester, from Violet Street in Derry, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates court on Tuesday. The court heard that he was was stopped at Belfast International Airport after arriving from Amsterdam in December. Customs officers found cocaine with a street value in excess of £80,000, depending on purity, in his baggage.

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Markiyal Atkins, 26, was arrested after a drug dog found cocaine and crack cocaine in a piece of luggage belonging to her

Markiyal Atkins, 26, of Monroe, was arrested after a drug dog found cocaine and crack cocaine in a piece of luggage belonging to her, police said. Police said a man who had been on the bus was arrested a few blocks away the bus station. He was identified as Marlow Ashley, 34, of Monroe. Agents said Ashley rode the bus to Shreveport while Atkins drove from Houston to Shreveport in a car. Both were booked for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Three men were arrested about 10:30 a.m. today in a drug bust at the Travel Lodge on Greenwood Road. Mathew Hart, 26, was arrested after narcotics agents found 50 plastic bags containing a ounce of methamphetamine and $1,500 on him, police said. While officers were arresting Hart, two other men returned to the motel and were arrested. They are identified as Jonathan Ward, 25, of Texarkana, Ark., and Roy Bishop, 27, of Ashdown, Ark. Ward was arrested for drug possession and Bishop was arrested on outstanding warrants out of Ashdown, police said.

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Carthon Lee Merrick, was named in a federal indictment charging him with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine

Carthon Lee Merrick, 34, of Manvel, was named in a federal indictment charging him with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle said today.According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint, since 2001, Merrick had used his company flying privileges to take 388 trips between Houston and Baltimore, including more than 100 in 2007.In January, Merrick was arrested with $79,122 in cash after getting off a flight from Baltimore to Hobby Airport.Also charged in the case are Emilio Flores, 33, of Deer Park, and Jaime Garza, 32, a Mexican national illegally in the country.The criminal complaint filed against Merrick alleges Flores and Garza were his source of supply for cocaine.
All three men are expected to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley on Friday. Garza is in state custody awaiting trial on state drug charges.
If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison without parole and a maximum fine of $4 million.

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Spanish police has seized seven tons of marijuana and detained five people in recent crackdowns in the southern province of Andalucia

Spanish police has seized seven tons of marijuana and detained five people in recent crackdowns in the southern province of Andalucia, provincial commissary Jose Maria Deira said Tuesday."The drug, coming from Morocco, is very pure, which has a market value of 10 million euros (about 14 million U.S. dollars),"Deira said, "it is the biggest volume seized in Andalucia this year."Deria said the marijuana was captured on two ships respectively, one ton in Cadiz on Sept. 21, and the other six tons in San Lucar de Barrameda a day later."It took several days to report the seizure because the police was trying to make more arrests and seizures," police authorities said.Deira added that all the detainees were Spanish and they would face judicial punishment.Spain is one of the main arrival points in Europe of cocaine from South America and marijuana from Africa.

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Body of a woman has been found floating on a beach of La Manga del Mar Menor in Murcia.

Body of a woman has been found floating on a beach of La Manga del Mar Menor in Murcia.Lifesavers found the body of the woman on the Galúa beach around 5pm last night and alerted the Guardia Civil. There are no details about her possible identity or nationality as yet.It comes after the body of another woman was found on Monday floating in swimming pool in a water park, also in La Manga.

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Jason I. Ming Wei arrested at Los Angeles International Airport

Accused, Shane Kelter, Walther Edgardo (Sharky) Orellana Aguilar and John (Keith) Wark, are Vancouver residents, who U.S. authorities say worked illicitly for Canadian Jason I. Ming Wei, based in Temple City, Calif.Wei was arrested Sunday night at Los Angeles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Canada, U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said.
Six Canadians are among 18 people facing charges in California after a massive two-year investigation into a cross-border drug smuggling ring allegedly moving marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine between B.C., Ontario and California.
Two other Toronto men, Jagmohan Singh Dhillon, 35, and 32-year-old Paramijt (Pumma) Singh, allegedly helped facilitate the transportation of Wei's drugs between Canada and the U.S., according to the indictment.Mrozek said in an interview that provisional arrest warrants against the Canadians would be sworn in the next few days."I anticipate that the United States will be making a request to have them arrested in the very near future," Mrozek said. "The investigators have been in contact with the RCMP in terms of identifying these Canadian characters up there."
He said all the B.C. and Ontario suspects are believed to be somewhere on this side of the border.Dubbed Operation Candystore, the investigation was led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.Seven American defendants were arrested Tuesday morning and will appear in court next week, Mrozek said.
Last month, a federal grand jury near Los Angeles returned two indictments that outline the alleged activities of the criminal organization.Both indictments charge Californian Nathanael Garrard Lineham, who runs a company called Data Locking. The indictment says Lineham used and distributed encrypted BlackBerrys to the gang to facilitate their drug trafficking.U.S. authorities say that during the investigation, they seized cash and drugs, including a 60-kilogram shipment of cocaine and a 35-kilogram shipment of cocaine.The charges include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ecstasy, cocaine and methamphetamine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute ecstasy; three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and money laundering.If convicted, the accused would face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years.The court documents allege that Wark worked with Lineham to send methamphetamine (MDMA) from B.C. to California."Defendant Wark and others would arrange to have the MDMA transported across the Canadian border and delivered to individuals who would drive the MDMA to the Southern California area," one indictment says.Coded e-mails were sent back and forth last November between the accused men, the indictment says, pointing out that the American was angry with Wark "for importing certain MDMA tablets that he intended to sell."They talked about extra security at the border on November 23, 2007 before Lineham allegedly sent another Californian accused in the case to Seattle by plane to meet the drugs.Wark sent another encrypted message a day later saying the courier was having car trouble and that those coming to get the meth would need "a phillips screwdriver to get it out," the court papers say.In mid-December, a Lineham phone call was intercepted in which he wondered about being busted because 85,000 MDMA tablets had been seized in Washington state.
"Defendant Lineham stated that he believed he was not implicated because the emails were encrypted and law enforcement would not be able to read the emails," the court papers say.The indictment says that Kelter, of Vancouver, would direct the activities of Wei - the Canadian in California - "related to the trafficking of narcotics to or from Canada and the laundering of money."Wei was the middleman, the documents say, overseeing the meth entering from Canada and "the trafficking of kilogram quantities of cocaine to Canada from the United States."Wei was recorded talking to one of the Toronto men, Singh, on June 15, 2007 about sending Dhillon "to pick up cocaine from defendant Wei in Los Angeles country to transport to Canada."Wei allegedly spoke on the phone to Dhillon later that week, and Dhillon "explained that he was driving a tractor-trailer so that defendant Wei could load the cocaine."
Forty-five kilos of coke were allegedly loaded onto the truck on June 19, 2007 at a warehouse.Aguilar allegedly met with Wei in California in August 2007 to pick up cocaine for B.C.Wei was recorded talking to Kelter in Vancouver expressing "concern that he was being followed by law enforcement so he abandoned the vehicle" with $200,000 US in it.

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