Simon Gold Smith answer to three charges of conspiracy to commit felony, unlawfully possession and trafficking of contraband drugs contrary to

Simon Gold Smith, a British citizen was on Monday 18th February 2008 arraigned before Magistrate A.M Kamanda of Court No. 2 in Freetown to answer to three count charges of conspiracy to commit felony, unlawfully possession and trafficking of contraband drugs contrary to laws of Sierra Leone. According to the particulars of offence, the accused was arrested on the 8th February 2008 with 78 parcels of cocaine at the Lungi International Airport with intention to traffic the said drugs out of the country to London onboard Brussels airline. Considering the gravity of the matter, the accused was not allowed to say anything in court. However, his Defence Counsel, Lawyer Robert Kowa applied for bail for his client with the assurance that he would always be presented in Court for subsequent hearings.
The Magistrate used his discretion. Given the nature of the offence, and for the fact that the accused is not a Sierra Leonean and not a resident of Freetown, he refused to grant him bail. He was then sent on remand to the maximum prisons at Pademba Road. The matter was adjourned to Thursday 21st February 2008.

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Ethica Cordero,Jacqueline Alvarez,discovered inside the vehicle a ripped open and nearly empty bag of crack cocaine

Ethica Cordero, 31, of 26 Cambridge St., was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, police documents state. Jacqueline Alvarez, 26, of 29 Arbutus St., was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, violation of a drug-free school zone, failing to have possession of a driver's license and a number plate violation, police documents state.Police approached the vehicle after determining that its number plate did not match the vehicle, Lt. John K. Slepchuk said. Police, looking inside the vehicle, discovered a ripped open and nearly empty bag of crack cocaine - which they describe as 'blow-outs,' Slepchuk said.
A further search yielded the discovery of a "fair amount of crack cocaine," Slepchuk said.

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Karl John Heidman,Michael Duane Williams,Robert Paul Burwell arrested by SANE

Karl John Heidman, 42, was arrested by agents from the Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, also known as SANE. Heidman was charged in connection with delivery of heroin, delivery of OxyContin, possession of heroin and maintaining a drug house. He was lodged at the Otsego County Jail.Michigan State Police from the Gaylord Post and the Gaylord City Police assisted in the raid.Other recent arrests by SANE included Michael Duane Williams, 20, of St. Ignace, Mich., who was held at the Mackinac County Jail Feb. 7 after being charged with delivery of marijuana and delivery of OxyContin.Robert Paul Burwell, 20, of Alanson, was arrested Feb. 6 and charged with two counts of delivery of methadone and being a habitual offender - fourth offense.

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David C. Battenberg,Diego A. Perez are charged in a federal criminal complaint with being involved in a conspiracy to distribute and posses heroin

David C. Battenberg, 27, of Metairie, and Diego A. Perez, 18, of New Orleans, are charged in a federal criminal complaint with being involved in a conspiracy to distribute and posses heroin, cocaine and other controlled substances.
The charges stem from a fast-tracked federal investigation initiated by the overdose death of 16-year-old Madeleine Prevost, a junior at Lusher High School who died in January from a toxic mixture of heroin and cocaine.
"The arrest of these two individuals on heroin distribution charges which we announce today signals something more important than the apprehension of drug dealers," Letten said. "Rather, it signals the end of a drug distribution business which caused the loss of a child."
James Bernazzani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New Orleans office, said the investigation was fueled by the mantra "no more children will die."
Letten, joined by Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand and other federal officials, said investigators gained key evidence - such as cell phone text messages and more - while executing a search warrant on the men's homes last week.
Bernazzani said agents will soon pay visits to parents of children who agents identified as drug buyers in the course of their investigation, letting them know their children use drugs.
"This is not a time for punishment, this is a time for hugs. . . Get them the treatment they need, he said.
Prevost's death stunned her parents, school and the community. Her mother Mary Prevost, a Lusher social worker, and her father Michael Prevost said they had no indication that their daughter was using hard drugs.
The Prevosts, who are divorced, say their daughter was deeply affected by the loss of both parents' homes during Hurricane Katrina. Besides losing her dog Chelsea during the storm, Madeleine was displaced to the Hampton Roads Academy in Virginia. When she returned home she enrolled at Lusher.
Maddy had gone out the Saturday night before her death and was home by her curfew of 11 p.m., her father said. When she sounded funny, he asked her if she'd been drinking. She assured him that she had not, and went to bed.Sometime on Sunday, she died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine that authorities believe she took Saturday evening.

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x-Slave Fashions used to distributed cocaine

The investigation, which included a court authorized wire tape of a telephone utilized by the defendants centered around the transport of substantial amounts of cocaine from Atlanta, Georgia, to the Wilmington, North Carolina, area. Thereafter, members of the conspiracy distributed the cocaine in various ways including through a local clothing store known as x-Slave Fashions. Investigators estimated that more than 550 kilograms were distributed in this way. The following defendants were sentenced on February 11, 2008:
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS GAUSE, JR. , was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. GAUSE, a leader in the organization, was also ordered to forfeit his interest in five tracts of real property and personal property. On September 12, 2007, GAUSE pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five ( 5 ) kilograms of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924( c )( 1 ).
HOWARD LEE DELTS, JR. , was sentenced to 176 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. On September 12, 2007, DELTS pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five ( 5 ) kilograms of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846.
JAMES ADOLPH BROWN was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. On September 12, 2007, BROWN pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than five ( 5 ) grams of cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841( a )( 1 ).
JOE NATHANIEL MCCRAY was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. On October 22, 2007, MCCRAY pleaded guilty to Count Two of a superseding indictment that charged MCCRAY with distribution of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841( a )( 1 ).

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Kenneth Allan Burton,Katrina Anne Burton admitted a joint charge of possession of equipment for the manufacture of pure methamphetamine

Kenneth Allan Burton 35, and Katrina Anne Burton, 33, admitted a joint charge of possession of equipment for the manufacture of P -- pure methamphetamine -- at a property in Waimate last October, when they appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday.Ken Burton also admitted charges of manufacturing methamphetamine and unlawful possession of firearms at a property in Aorangi Road, Christchurch, on November 29. Several other charges against the couple will be withdrawn as a result of the guilty pleas.The couple's children were at both the rural Waimate property and the Christchurch house the family shifted to weeks after their Waimate home was raided.Child, Youth, and Family (CYF) staff alerted police to the Christchurch address, because of concerns about the welfare of the three children, aged from four weeks to 13 years.Police prosecutor Stewart Sluis said the three children were at home when the property in Waimate was surrounded about 8.12pm on October 25.
It took 13 minutes before the Burtons and their children came out, and in that time a lot of activity was seen inside the house, including smoke billowing from the chimney. The remains of chemicals and containers commonly used in P manufacturing were found at the property.Katrina Burton told the police she and her husband never used P in front of the children.When the Christchurch property was raided, a van at the house was found to contain chemicals. Ken Burton acknowledged they were for manufacturing methamphetamine. The van had its windows blacked out and smelled strongly of chemical.Two . 22 rifles, a .303 rifle, and an air rifle were found hidden in the walls of the house. Burton claimed the rifles were for hunting.The couple have been in custody since their arrest at their Christchurch home in late November. Initially they both faced charges as a result of that raid. Their children were taken into CYF care after both the Waimate and Christchurch incidents.Katrina Burton will appear in the Christchurch District Court todayfor a hearing to decide whether she will be allowed bail pending her sentencing on April 4. Ken Burton has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in the High Court on March 13.
Days after the Waimate raid, Ken Burton claimed the raid on his Waimate property had been over the top.He claimed the couple had been watching Coronation Street when armed offenders and other police arrived with a search warrant.
Burton said seeing armed offenders with firearms had been harrowing for his children.
"For using P you'd expect a run-of-the-mill search. The last thing any child should see is their dad with a machine gun at his head."

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DJ Grooverider has been jailed for four years in Dubai

DJ Grooverider has been jailed for four years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for cannabis possession.A small amount of cannabis was reported to have been found in his record collection. The BBC Radio 1 DJ - real name Raymond Bingham - was arrested in November 2007 for flying in for a nightclub gig with 2.16g of cannabis in his luggage. Bingham denied smuggling drugs, claiming he had left the cannabis in a trouser pocket and forgotten about it. "Grooverider has paid a very high price for a serious mistake," a spokesman for Radio 1 said. The 40-year-old has been with the station since 1998 and hosted the weekend drum 'n' bass show with fellow DJ Fabio.
The programme, which has broadcast without him since his arrest, will continue under the title Radio 1's Drum 'n' Bass Show With Fabio.The 40-year-old DJ, who co-hosts the weekly BBC drum-and-bass programme Fabio and Grooverider, His case is causing huge controversy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where strict laws rooted in conservative Islam sometimes clash with the liberal values of its expatriate citizens and the millions of tourists who visit every year.
Grooverider had been employed on a freelance basis and has not been paid by the station since November. Four years is the minimum sentence for drug trafficking in the UAE. In the last 12 months, 64 British nationals have been arrested in the UAE for drugs offences The DJ, who called his arrest "ridiculous" in an interview last month, has two weeks to appeal. "I must have forgotten the spliff," he said in the interview. "It was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted." Grooverider – whose real name is Raymond Bingham – was arrested at Dubai airport on November 23, hours before he was due to play a sold-out show at The Lodge, one of the Gulf state’s hottest clubs.Grooverider, who made his name DJing at illegal warehouse parties, is recognised as a pioneer of the abrasive style of dance music known as “drum and bass”. He is a recording artist and record label owner in his own right and an in-demand DJ on the international club circuit. His colleague Fabio will continue to present the Radio 1 show in his absence.

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Scott Rush Bali Nine member " I didn't know it was the death penalty."

These are dark days for Scott Rush. The 22-year-old from Brisbane is far from home in a foreign prison, with little to think of but impending death at the hands of an Indonesian executioner.
He was originally sentenced to life in prison for his role in an attempt to smuggle eight kilograms of heroin from Indonesia to Australia in 2005.
He appealed, but rather than being shortened, his sentence was increased to death
Scott Rush Bali Nine member has spoken publicly for the first time about receiving the death penalty for drug smuggling.The 22-year-old from Brisbane was one of several of his colleagues sentenced to death in 2006 after being caught trying to smuggle heroin.On SBS TV's Cutting Edge program tonight, Rush describes his regret over his actions."There is a number of factors involved. I didn't have a concrete job at the time, I was waiting to go to the Air Force," he said. "I think about this and sometimes the answer changes. ... I didn't know what I was risking, I didn't know it was the death penalty, I didn't know anything about Bali, really."But Rush says he still holds hope that he will one day walk free from jail."It's always on my mind, always in the back of my head," he said."You reckon you're going to make it through and ... get out of here. I feel that I will; obviously I'm hoping that I will."[I am] continuously thinking about it every day.".Five other members of the drug syndicate are also facing execution.

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The largest heroin seizures in Africa Biggest drugs busts in the country's history billion rand worth of heroin at the Beitbridge Border

Police say they've made one of the biggest drugs busts in the country's history, confiscating almost three quarters of a billion rand worth of heroin at the Beitbridge Border Post.Two men have been arrested. They were trying to bring around a ton of the deadly drug from Zimbabwe into South Africa.The police's Dennis Adriao says the find was the result of a routine search.South African police seized suspected heroin Tuesday worth nearly 100 million dollars in what the United Nations said could be the biggest-ever bust in Africa and one of the largest in the world.
The 47 sackloads of the drug, weighing a total of 1,363 kilogrammes (about 3,000 pounds), were discovered in a secret compartment in a lorry that had crossed South Africa's border from Zimbabwe, said Captain Dennis Adriao. The heroin was discovered during a routine search by police and customs officials near the Beit Bridge crossing."The truck and trailer were empty but on closer inspection, police members discovered a false compartment. Police narcotics dogs also reacted positively to the false compartment," Adriao told AFP."On opening the compartment, police found 47 bags each weighing 29 kilos of yellowish / pink powder. Sample tests were done on site which revealed that the powder was heroin."More detailed tests on the packages were being done to confirm the nature of the find beyond doubt.
Adriao said the total street value of the haul was 750 million rand (98.5 million dollars / 67 million euros).Two South Africans, including the driver of the lorry, were arrested and were expected to be charged with drugs smuggling.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the bust was "indeed huge".
"1.3 tons would be definitely the largest heroin seizure ever made in Africa," UNODC policy analysis and research branch official Thomas Pietschmann told AFP.
"The largest heroin seizures in Africa, which we have on our database, amount to just 51 kg; the largest single seizure officially reported by the South African authorities to UNODC amounted to just 3.6 kg."
Pietschmann said only ten previous single seizures, all in Pakistan, had exceeded the find reported by South African authorities on Tuesday.

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NSW government minister Milton Orkopoulos used drugs to "lure and trap" young boys

Orkopoulos, 50, is standing trial in the Newcastle District Court on 34 child sex and drug charges for offences dating back to 1995.
The former Labor member for Swansea on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one count of supplying cannabis and another of possessing child pornography but pleaded not guilty to a remaining 34 offences.Crown Prosecutor Helen Wilson told the court that Orkopoulos met his first victim through the Labor party in 1995 and won his trust by supplying him with alcohol, cannabis, and encouraging him to speak about his problems.Orkopoulos then hooked the boy on heroin, supplying him with the drug, needles and syringes and teaching him how to inject, Ms Wilson said.
Two other victims, aged 16 or younger, were also plied with alcohol and drugs and assaulted or forced into sex during the following decade, she said.
"What I expect that the evidence will show is that the accused used drugs to lure and trap these boys ... into sexual relations with him," Ms Wilson told the court.
A student who was in Year 12 and doing a leadership course at Parliament House in 2005 said Orkopoulos gave him a joint and they smoked it in a courtyard near his office.A fellow student who was with them at the time said he remembered the MP's words clearly.
"He said something like, 'this is where us politicians deal our drugs'," she said.
"He basically told me, 'just don't tell anyone'."
They then went to lunch with Newcastle MP Bryce Gaudry, the student said.The jury was told Mr Gaudry and fellow Labor party figures Jill Byrne and Jill Hall would give evidence at the four-week trial.

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Col. Bayron Carvajal Colombian army colonel convicted killing members of narcotics police squad

Colombian army colonel and 14 soldiers were convicted Monday of killing members of an elite, U.S.-trained counter- narcotics police squad on the orders of drug traffickers, one of the most sordid of several recent cases of alleged corruption in the armed forces.A judge in Cali found Col. Bayron Carvajal and the soldiers guilty of aggravated homicide in the slaughter of 10 police officers and an informant in a May 2006 ambush outside a rural nursing home near Cali. Sentences will be imposed in two weeks. The massacre was just one of several scandals over the last two years that have tarnished this country's armed forces and raised questions about the U.S.-sponsored program called Plan Colombia that in 2000 began funneling millions of dollars in aid here. Since 2006, high-ranking military officers are alleged to have sold secrets to drug traffickers to help them elude capture, and to have planted fake bombs to gain career advancement. A recent report by human rights groups found that extrajudicial killings by the army have increased since the early years of Plan Colombia. Carvajal maintained his innocence throughout the trial, saying he and his troops thought the police were drug traffickers. More than 100 witnesses were called to testify, some of whom linked Carvajal to both leftist guerrillas and drug gangs.
Defense attorneys said the legal process was tainted by public statements from the attorney general and President Alvaro Uribe that the soldiers had murdered the police.The soldiers lay in wait, then fired hundreds of rounds and threw several grenades at the police unit as it was about to launch an operation to recover 220 pounds of cocaine that a tipster had said was stashed inside a psychiatric facility in the town of Jamundi.Six police officers were found to have been shot at close range. None of the soldiers were wounded.No drugs were found, and the informant -- who prosecutors said spoke by phone with Carvajal shortly before the attack -- was killed as well.The preponderance of Plan Colombia aid, which in recent years has averaged more than $650 million a year, has gone to expand, equip and train Colombia's military and national police. Congress was assured that human rights abuses and corruption in the Colombian armed forces would decline as a result of U.S. training.

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Southampton Six have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering offences.

More than 50 police officers were involved in the operation which saw six people arrested.raids have been carried out in Southampton today, disrupting a major cocaine network in the city.The raids follow a lengthy investigation into a major cocaine distribution syndicate in the city.
At around 7am today, detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), assisted by officers from the Southampton OCU Priority Crime Team, executed three warrants in the Southampton area, and a further warrant in the Tooting area of London.Three men and a woman were arrested in Southampton, one man was arrested in London, and a fifth man has been produced from prison in Oxfordshire.
All six have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering offences.They have been taken into custody at police stations in Hampshire where they will be interviewed throughout the day.
Following the execution of warrants, a significant amount of what is believed to be Class A drugs were recovered, along with cash and documentation.
Today's operation marks the first arrest phase of an ongoing investigation into a major criminal conspiracy by officers from the Western Serious and Organised Crime Unit, based in Southampton.Utilising powers available under the Proceeds of Crime Act, police have also obtained restraint orders on several houses and vehicles, which are believed to have been purchased through the proceeds of the criminality at the centre of this investigation.Detective Sergeant Jason Attwell said: "Effectively we are not only going after those who supply drugs by dismantling the network, but we are also intent on striking at the heart of their criminality, and stripping their assets away from them."

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Edmond Okoli denied smuggling cocaine into Scotland

Edmond Okoli, 43, turned up to collect the crates of cheap crockery from Peru - using a fake driving licence as ID.Security guard Okoli, of Tyrrell Road, London, denied smuggling cocaine into Scotland in November 2005 - along with others - and being concerned in the supply of the drug.He told an earlier trial he had been offered £500 to pick up the artefacts and knew nothing about drugs. He named those he claimed were really to blame.But a jury rejected his story and found him guilty, by a majority.The High Court in Edinburgh heard today that Okoli felt "justifiably aggrieved" that he was left to carry the can.Solicitor advocate Jim Keegan, defending, said Okoli had never been in any kind of trouble before.The earlier trial heard how police and customs officers had earlier searched through the vases and other pottery. They drew a blank - until they turned their attention to the packaging itself.Some of the slats making up six wooden crates revealed a suspicious shadow when x-rayed.A jury watched a video of what happened next.A hole was bored into one of the lengths of wood, followed by a probe which flicked out traces of white powder.The searchers then noticed three lengths of wood in each of the six crates was a slightly different colour and all had been hollowed out to take packages of cocaine.The wooden boxes were loaded onto a white Toyota van. But by them customs officers had seized the cocaine and hidden a microphone in one of the crates.As the van drove away the eavesdropping bug picked up the sound of someone singing about drugs in a foreign language.
Language expert Godson Echebima was asked to listen to the voices the bug picked up and said he heard "joyful singing" .Mr Echebima of London-based IOL Language Service told the trial that he identified the language on recordings as Igbo, spoken in eastern Nigeria.There were two Igbo voices on the recording, he said. Snatches of almost inaudible conversation could be heard against a background of a vehicle starting up and what seemed to be a telephone call.A transcript shown to the jury described part of the recording as "brief joyful singing" and translated the words as "he who's got the drug is going ..."The Toyota van was stopped as it headed south on the M74.Detective Sergeant Kenneth Simpson of Strathclyde Police drug squad told the court that the drug was of very high purity and could easily be doubled in quantity before being sold on the streets for between pounds £40 and £50 a gramme.
The detective praised the ingenuity of the smugglers. "It looked just like a plank of wood. It had been very professionally done," he said.Detective Sergeant James Wallace of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency said the search at Edinburgh Airport was part of "Operation Horus"Last year Okoli stood trial on the same charges with the two men he claimed were really responsible.
Richard Taylor, 45, of Edinburgh and Chibuike Chukwu, 28, of London were cleared by a jury then. The proceedings against Okoli were temporarily abandoned because his lawyer was taken ill.He had come back to Edinburgh to face a new trial, on his own.

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Leroy Gatward supplying heroin to another dealer

Leroy Gatward (37), of Ruby Street, Newfoundpool, Leicester, turned to dealing to fund his own class A drug use and pay off a debt to his supplier.James Thomas, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that on July 9 last year, police caught Gatward supplying heroin to another dealer in Rowan Street, Newfoundpool, at 1.30pm.
He said: "When Gatward was grabbed by the officers, he discarded two wraps containing a total of 6.46 grams of heroin which, fortuitously, landed on the police officer's car bonnet."The court heard Gatward also used the home of a friend, Helen Greaney (45), of Bronte Close, Braunstone, Leicester, to store the drugs, weigh them and package them ready for distribution.Officers searched Greaney's home and seized a small amount of heroin - 0.26 grams - and other paraphernalia.Gatward, a father, accepted responsibility for the items, saying he was looking after them for his dealer, whom he owed more than £1,000.The court confiscated £60 from Gatward and £95 from Greaney, seized on their arrest.Gatward admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing a small amount of crack cocaine for personal use.
Greaney, who sometimes gave Gatward a lift to deliver the heroin, was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with supervision and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.She admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin between May and July.Judge Peter Morrell told Gatward he was reducing the sentence to reflect "the way you have responded well to the drug rehabilitation offered to you on remand in prison. You are to be rewarded directly for that".
Judge Morrell told Greaney, who had no previous convictions: "You came within a whisker of receiving custody.
"There are aspects of your character that suggest what you have done is wholly out of character."
In mitigation, the court heard that Gatward, the father of three young daughters, intended to fully rehabilitate himself.The court was told Greaney had only become involved out of desperation for pain relief for a medical problem and ended up hooked on heroin.She regretted providing her co-accused with a safe house to keep drugs, has received treatment and has been clean of heroin since Christmas.

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Daniel Toussaint was sentenced to three years for his part in an operation known as “T Phone”

Daniel Toussaint was sentenced to three years for his part in an operation known as “T Phone” which enabled London dealers to push Class A drugs in Ipswich.Ipswich Crown Court heard that police surveillance spotted Toussaint with one of the main conspirators on April 29, 2004 and then with a 16-year-old concerned in the conspiracy on May 6 of that year.Stephen Requena prosecuting said when Toussaint was arrested he was in possession of 14 wraps of heroin with a street value of up to £150.He said three mobile telephones which had been used to contact other conspirators during a “relevant period” were also attributed to Toussaint.The court heard that the 25-year-old of Llanover Road, Wembley, London, had previous convictions for possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis dating back to 1998 but no offences for supplying drugs.Toussaint pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.Wrag Chand, mitigating, said his client had reached a “crossroad” in his life and wanted to change his ways and become a good father to his young son.
He said: “Whatever route the court determines as appropriate Mr Toussaint is clear in his own mind that whatever happens he will change and lead a more meaningful life.

Mr Chand said his client was no more than a “street peddler” with drug problems, particularly with crack cocaine.He added: “There was no large amount of money found on him or at his home and nothing to signify an excessive lifestyle.“The previous convictions support that he has a real chronic addiction to drugs.”
Judge David Goodin told Toussaint: “I have no doubt you were a significant foot soldier in this conspiracy for the more senior and more heavily involved members.”
He said a “very significant” T Phone telephone number was found in Toussaint's possession.Toussaint was sent to prison for three years, less the time he had spent on remand.Daniel Toussaint was snared in Suffolk Police's Operation Wolf crackdown on London dealers infiltrating Ipswich to sell drugs.Members of the gang, known as the “T Business”, were caught after a lengthy and substantial police investigation. In all, nine people have been punished for various drugs-related convictions at Ipswich Crown Court.The investigation involved up to 80 officers at its peak, with surveillance teams and undercover police gathering information on the business.
Part of their work involved buying drugs from the gang's street dealers. Police became aware of T Business in the summer of 2005 and subsequent investigations revealed a connection with the London borough of Brent. It quickly emerged that the gang, which was operated from a house in Colchester, controlled much of the supply of crack cocaine and heroin in Ipswich.Detectives oversaw early-morning swoops in Ipswich and Colchester on August 4, 2005.One of the homes raided was that of Johnny Callie, 57, of Peterhouse Close, who provided the gang's Ipswich link. Callie was found guilty by a jury earlier this year of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. It is estimated the gang was making between £2,000 and £3,000 a day.

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Louis Steele, was arrested with 39 decks of heroin, two hypodermic needles, a crack pipe and two baggies of marijuana,

Louis Steele, 56, was arrested with 39 decks of heroin, two hypodermic needles, a crack pipe and two baggies of marijuana, police said. The heroin had a street value of almost $800. He was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Steele also faces multiple misdemeanor charges.Glen Hines, 54, was charged with felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. When he was arrested he also was in possession of heroin and hypodermic needles, village police said.After a traffic stop on Jefferson Street, Rebecca Sisco, 26, was charged with felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. Police said Sisco, who previously faced a drunk driving charge, was driving a car with five active suspensions and revocations. Mark Johnson, 46, was already in the Sullivan County Jail from an arrest last month in which officers found 47 decks of heroin during a traffic stop. Over the weekend officers added to Johnson’s charges two felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.All four defendants were sent to the county jail without bail. The investigation is ongoing and police expect more arrests.

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Sugar Shack, Daryl Shack,A neighborhood will only have as much crime as they'll tolerate.

"A neighborhood will only have as much crime as they'll tolerate," Hartley,the narcotics assistant chief said. police said that after 20 years of slinging drugs, Shack was a careful man. He tossed his cell phone every few weeks. He had dogs and a surveillance system hooked up at the house he stayed in between Shannon Ridge and the church. Investigators said he used different units at Shannon Ridge, where he was on the books as a maintenance man, to cook drugs often sold in the complex's laundry room as lookouts circled on bicycles. Police said the 41-year-old kept a handful of close operatives and a slightly larger network of addicts who sold crack on the streets. Investigators believe the addicts got a dose of free crack in the morning to get them up and out like someone else's cup of coffee. At day's end, the big sellers got another freebie, according to police. By that time, the ring had moved about $1,000 of crack within a neighborhood less than a mile wide, detectives said.
To trap Shack, police had a tailor-made plan. Two undercover detectives posed as construction crew leaders who made crack buys to pay their own laborers the way authorities said Shack did - with $25 doses of the off-white rocks of poison.
"We started off buying one piece at a time," Narcotics Assistant Chief John Hartley said of the 30 crack deals the detectives began in November. "Ultimately the goal was to get to Shack. But that took a long time." On Friday, Shack's court-appointed attorney, David Makofka, spoke from the hallway outside Courtroom 5D at the federal courthouse in Jacksonville. It was minutes after his client pleaded not guilty in his drug case. "Don't crucify him until you hear the facts," the lawyer said, becoming the first to defend Shack publicly since the man's Feb. 5 arrest in a police raid. On Feb. 6 a federal grand jury indicted Shack on 14 drug counts, including conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base. Makofka said his client also denies any part in arson or human slavery offenses.
"When they don't have anything to talk about in the case, they talk about window dressing," Makofka said of law-enforcement agents. "The community needs to put the brakes on all these discussions and give him his day in court."
Shack has had those before. In 1999 a federal jury acquitted him on drug charges after law-enforcement agents nabbed Shack in connection with a 4-kilogram, or about $90,000 cocaine shipment in Fort Lauderdale.
Both his co-defendants went to prison. But with two prior state convictions involving felony drug charges, Shack is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison plus 390 years and a $34 million fine. Among the evidence police seized in the case was a soup mug they said he used to zap cocaine into crack cookies in the Magic Chef microwave in his Shannon Avenue house. Among the property they seized was his 2008 Ford F-250 truck, a gold ring, two diamond stud earrings and a gold Jesus pendant on a thick gold chain worth an estimated $3,000. It's not clear if authorities will seize the deed to the $380,000 home off Kernan Boulevard records show he bought in 2006 with his second wife. They are now divorced. Shack told the judge he made about $4,000 a month as a legitimate maintenance man before he went to federal lockup in Georgia. But the man's history of local arrest and booking reports dating back to 1987 alludes to a violent criminal past. In 2005, police investigated allegations Shack ordered one of his operatives to beat to death another addict who worked for him. That case never made it to court, even after officers recovered a radiator used in the attack. But police said both the victim and the accused from that case now are among Shack's five co-defendants in the federal drug indictment.
Police arrested 18 people they've linked to drug dealing in the Shannon Ridge area after three recent raids following the investigation they dubbed "Operation Sugar Cane."
The name was a nod to one of Shack's nicknames: Sugar Shack.
It also was the name of a limo service he had in the late 1980s.
Hartley, the narcotics assistant chief, said police plan to keep a presence in Biltmore even after they scoop up the four drug-dealing suspects they're still looking for.
"Our message to people that live there is we will not let this happen again. We don't want another Daryl Shack," he said.
The pastor also has vowed to make sure that doesn't happen. Detectives have promised him justice for the arson as that investigation continues.
But Biltmore's future mostly is up to its residents, according to the assistant chief.

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Brooke Elizabeth Bumgardner,Jesse Leigh Olszewski possession of controlled substance

Brooke Elizabeth Bumgardner, 20, and Jesse Leigh Olszewski, 21, of possession of controlled substance, penalty group 1, between 4-200 grams. They also charged them with possession of marijuana between four ounces and five pounds after finding about a pound of marijuana in the house, and of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. They also charged Jesse Olszewski with furnishing or purchasing alcohol to/for a minor.Blake Fillmore Hurst, 19, went to jail on a charge of prohibited weapon (switchblade) in a weapons-free zone.The mother, 46, and a non-resident female, 20, were all charged with possession of marijuana less than two ounces. The second daughter, 19, went to jail on a charge of possession of marijuana less than two ounces and also possession of drug paraphernalia. All drug charges were enhanced because the house is across the street from the Howe football stadium, qualifying the area as a drug-free zone. Ford explained that the penalties of such enhanced charges are stiffer for those found guilty, just as the penalty for the weapons charge against Hurst can be stiffer, should he be found guilty.
Ford explained that OxyContin pills can bring up to $40 each on the streets. According to Wikipedia online dictionary, they are a pain medication that produce side effects similar to those from heroin use.The seized narcotics will be taken to the Texas Department of Public Safety lab in Garland

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Gavin Geelan pleaded guilty to having a quantity of cocaine

Security staff at a Galway city night-club rang the Gardaí when they realised a punter had cocaine in his possession.
Gavin Geelan (25), a native of Co Longford with an address at 10 Castlegardens, Newtownforbes, Longford, pleaded guilty to having a quantity of cocaine valued at between €50 and €70 in his possession at Karma night-club, on January 13 last, when he appeared before Galway District Court last Wednesday.
Inspector Mick Coppinger said security staff rang the Gardaí when they found Geelan in possession of the drug at 1.45am.
The court was told Geelan had not touched the drug since and that this had been a one-off incident.
Imposing a €250 fine, Judge Mary Fahy said possession of cocaine was a very serious offence and the effects and after-effects of the drug had been very well documented in the media recently. “Everyone knows it’s dangerous. They read the papers and they are aware of the dangers,” the judge said.

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James R. Benjamin found the cocaine in his vehicle

James R. Benjamin, 28, of 485 Indiana Ave., Mansfield , was stopped for making an improper turn and not having a rear license plate light. While conducting a search, officers found the cocaine in his vehicle, the department reported.Benajmin was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and felony drug possession, in addition to the charges for improper turn and no license plate light. He was taken to Crawford County Jail. He will be held pending appearances in both Galion Municipal Court and Crawford County Court of Common Pleas.

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Semyon Mogilevich asking to be freed on bail

Semyon Mogilevich has appeared before Moscow City Court asking to be freed on bail. The man is reported to have a number of aliass and to be a prominent figure in organised crime.Semion Mogilevich is wanted in several countries, including the U.S., on charges of fraud and money laundering.
Russian police arrested him on charges of tax evasion along with Vladimir Nekrasov, the owner of Arbat Prestige, a Russian cosmetics chain.

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Barry Neil Hatwell gave Paul Daly a shot of heroin

Barry Neil Hatwell, 35, of no fixed address, gave Paul Daly a shot of heroin because Mr Daly had asked him due to a fear of needles.But a few hours later Mr Daly was found dead in a squat in Christchurch Road, Boscombe and died due to the dangerous cocktail of heroin and alcohol.Winchester Crown Court heard that on June 2 last year Hatwell, Mr Daly and two other men had taken a large commercial drinks fridge from the squat and sold it to buy heroin.All four men returned to the flat and Hatwell cooked up the heroin and drew it into four separate syringes.
The two men and Hatwell injected themselves before Hatwell injected Mr Daly.Hatwell later left the squat and the two other men fell asleep - one woke to find Mr Daly dead.Three people were arrested at the scene and Hatwell was arrested the following day.Initially Hatwell denied the offence but later admitted injecting Mr Daly with heroin by consent.He was charged with manslaughter, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.A post mortem examination found that Mr Daly died due to heroin toxicity, exacerbated by consumption of alcohol.A report from a Home Office pathologist said: "The amount of alcohol present was relatively moderate."However, alcohol is itself a respiratory depressant which would have worsened the effects of heroin in this case."Mr Daly, 34, lived in the Charminster area and worked for a supermarket in Boscombe.
DS Craig Travers of Bournemouth Police, said: "This case highlights the fact that if you are a heroin user and other people are giving you heroin you can never know the strength of what you are taking."

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Big foot drug smuggling sub

"Big foot," is drug smuggling sub that moves about the ocean stealth -- mostly underwater -- keeping it off radar and sonar screens. It was filled with more than 4 tons of cocaine. The drugs are actually loaded in the front of the submarine - new subs in the cartel's fleet can hold up to 15 tons of cocaine. There's a six cylinder engine in the submarine that can move it up to 2,000 miles. The crew cabin can't really even stand up, it's kind of low. The beds are really close to each other, making it a tight space to live on."Every time we turn around, the smuggler are extraordinarily creative, extraordinary adaptive" said Nimmich. We've certainly seen that over the years.John Scmidt's a former drug smuggler who works with the courts to get people into treatment. He figured it was just a matter of time before smugglers took their trade "under the sea." Submarines are the present thing in vogue," said Schmidt. "I would tell my colleagues that we needed to buy a sub because all of our work was land oriented. It made sense to me that subs were the way to go because you don't see them." The drug subs are getting more sophisticated constantly. Every time drug agents expose one new smuggling method -- another one is already in the works. "The only thing that limits a drug smuggler is his money and or his imagination," explained Schmidt. "With those two he can go, the sky's the limit. " What makes this such a huge find for all the agencies involved, they actually have their hands on the "big foot,"

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Frederick Roundtree's Newburgh-based cocaine crew

The 30-year-old Roundtree was identified last year by city police as the most prolific cocaine dealer in Newburgh, supplying customers who traveled to the city from 35 to 40 miles away.The case against Frederick Roundtree's Newburgh-based cocaine crew ended last week with a 30th guilty plea, but the biggest fish is thinking about getting off the hook.Roundtree's sentencing was postponed by Orange County Court Judge Nicholas DeRosa, because Roundtree is contemplating changing his mind about pleading guilty. Part of his plea-bargain deal last month included giving up his right to appeal. His lawyer, Paul Trachte of Newburgh, says Roundtree may want to renew his challenge to the validity of wiretaps that were a key part of the case.DeRosa disagreed with the defense contention that Newburgh police didn't properly "minimize" wiretapped conversations that weren't germane to the case, and he also ruled that police had no other means to investigate Roundtree's crew. Trachte argued that police successfully infiltrated the crew by using confidential informants.When DeRosa ruled against him, that left Roundtree facing the prospect of a trial and a maximum of 48 years in state prison if he was convicted of all the charges he faced.Instead, Roundtree accepted a deal: Plead guilty to a single felony drug-possession charge in exchange for eight years in prison, and give up a chance to renew his arguments about the validity of the wiretaps that snared him."I think the main concern now is the waiver of his right to appeal with regard to that issue," Trachte said.Roundtree's due back in court on this week.In addition to Roundtree, 31 people were indicted after an investigation of his crew's activities last year. Two of those people are still at large. The others all pleaded guilty to charges ranging from conspiracy to second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony.The No. 2 man in Roundtree's organization, J.W. Hamilton, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in state prison and five years' parole.The last open case in the Roundtree indictment ended with a guilty plea on Thursday. Charles Arline of Newburgh pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge, in exchange for a sentence of time already served in jail. He had been facing a felony conspiracy charge.His lawyer, Phil Schnabel of Chester, says that a former Orange County prosecutor, David Hoovler, helped ensure the plea bargain on Thursday by pointing out flaws in the wiretaps that were evidence against Arline. Hoovler's now a defense lawyer in Chester.Other people familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they didn't want to jeopardize future dealings with lawyers and judges, say that Arline was offered a deal because he was the last loose end in the Roundtree case. The prosecutor, Gary Heavner, left the Orange County District Attorney's Office last year and is now a prosecutor in Rockland County.

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Frank Earl Evans Flushed, but not forgotten

Flushed, but not forgotten. Cameron police say a toilet confiscated in a drug investigation yielded bags of cocaine. Frank Earl Evans, 32, of Cameron, was charged with tampering with physical evidence. Evans also faces escape causing bodily injury charges, after an officer suffered a knee injury during a scuffle with him.Bond was set at $55,000 for Evans, who's jailed in Milam County.Authorities believe Evans earlier this month flushed bags of cocaine down the toilet as officers arrived to search his house.Police Chief Patrick Guffey said officers wanted to get every piece of evidence they could.So the toilet was pulled from the floor. A back-hoe dug out the sewer line, which led to more bags of what police say is cocaine.Jail officials had no immediate record of an attorney for Evans.

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