For the lions share, howevera nearly all-white mix of solitary adults, young and middle-aged couples, teenagers, and parents dragging along childrenit looks like life has been a struggle for a while. Police In Western Maryland Dismantle Sex Trafficking Operation A handful, with newer haircuts and cars, might be professionalssomewhere in this politically conservative county. With a projected $125 million in investments needed to fully develop the proposala big ifthe project, according to city officials, has the potential to create 875 jobs. Washington, D.C. Man Convicted After Nine-Day Trial for Use of a Firearm in Connection with a Murder and a Robbery, and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy. Maybe longer. The NTF is responsible for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of persons who violate the controlled dangerous substance laws of Maryland, regardless of the sophisitication of the illicit operation. A sitting train and truck behind a lot along West Franklin Street. Nine People Indicted in Historic Drug Bust on Maryland Eastern Shore One (seemingly) solid mayor, Republican Donald Frush, who served from 1981-1985 and was known as the Father of Planning in Washington County, disappeared during his campaign for a second term and was found by a reporter at a Johns Hopkins psych ward. Its hope or heroin out here.. "If they just had a pipefine," he said. As Western Maryland battles the opioid crisis, meth is surging - DEA Since the start of the addiction crisis, which now kills more in the U.S. than car accidents and gun violence combined, emergency rescue calls have tripled in Hagerstown. He was released after posting his $5,000 bond. Summer Camp registration opens Apri, Congratulations to Boot Barn for celebrating a rib, On behalf of the National Park Service, the Washin, Check out the special events Washington County Rec, In observance of Presidents' Day, Washington Count, Americans with Disabilities Act Information. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore . The seized drugs have a street value of approximately $471,000, according to prosecutors. Anderson was charged with distribution of narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. The City Council will likely be forced to raise property taxes again this year. 3, in Hagerstowns North End; and Daniel Matthew Anderson, 28, of 1008 Security Road, Apt. Police allege Anthony Latimer, 41, Hagerstown, was dealing drugs from his car when Alpha Platoon patrol officers approached the car in the 300 block of North Jonathan Street at 5:30 a.m. Latimer stepped . He liked the feeling the Vicodin gave him and began to sometimes take the pills just for that hydrocodone buzz. She also cites the new safe needle program implemented by the county health departmentalbeit over the objection of a couple of state delegatesto combat Hepatitis C and HIV infections. The bust began in the late afternoon Monday as Grant was contacted to do a deal involving an informant, and was taken into custody inside the Sheetz on Potomac Avenue, Kerns said. Patrica Diaz,four counts of possession with intent to distribute spice, three counts of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. He moved on to 10-milligram Percocet, then 30-milligram. Police Seize 83 Pounds of Meth in Massive Montgomery Co. Drug Bust Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as Papi, 48, of the Dominican Republic, is one of 34 people indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of West Virginia on charges stemming froma multi-state drug operation, according to Randolph J. Bernard, the district's acting U.S. attorney. Scrubbing Baltimores Marble Steps Was My Very First Job, How Actress Rachel Hilsons Baltimore Roots Influence Her Work Today, The Mount Vernon Virtuosi is Much More Than a Chamber Orchestra, Deer Park, MD Was Once an Elite VacationlandThanks in Part to its Famous Water, Artist James Evans Uses Photographs and Words to Combat Prejudice in Nature, Baltimore School for the Arts Debuts a Student-Run Newspaper. -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. On Monday, the following people were brought into custody: Terry Ernede Jr., two counts of distribution of heroin. The below persons are wanted or need to be identified by WCNTF at this time for drug violations or involved in a drug investigation. In an emotional press conference, she pointed the finger directly at the pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue Pharma, which hired hundreds of sales representatives to promote their product and has been accused of using misleading information to hide the drugs addiction potential. The drug task force is comprised of sworn law enforcement officers and contributionsfrom theCaroline County Sheriff's Department, Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Caroline County States Attorney's Office, and the Denton Police Department. HAGERSTOWN, Md. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. Hagerstown Drug Testing - Locations in Hagerstown MD | Health Street Including Brookes father. Law enforcement determined that the reported vehicle was registered to Smith and that the unit had been rented to Smith under a fraudulent New York State drivers license that bore Smiths photograph and the alias Michael Silver. A Hagerstown pawn shop. Hagerstown, MD 2 days ago. This epidemic, largely caused by the pharmaceutical industrys complete lack of accountability or care about anyone or anything other than their pockets, has wreaked havoc on my city, Keller said. Now, how many families do you know that have been affected by addiction? Brother and Sister Arrested After Police Seize $24 Million During Drug Bust October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. icki Sterling, director of the Washington County Health Departments Division of Behavorial Health Services, says the turning point for the county in addressing the opioid epidemic was the death of former Hagerstown police sergeant Kevin Simmers daughter, Brooke, who overdosed on heroin 10 days after she had been released from a four-month prison stay. / CBS Baltimore. A Narcotics Cop Loses His Daughter to a Heroin Overdose - The Atlantic In 2009, an old theater was transformed into BISFA, a magnet arts high school. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. Thats how strong the grip of this addiction is.. You can imagine as a police officer and a father how I felt, Simmers says. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Its a problem, says former Hagerstown police chief Victor Brito, who resigned in May to lead the Rockville force. Another resident artist, Anthony Jones Jr., is a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic who credits artand Engine Roomas part of his salvation, giving him a sense of purpose and allowing him to be creative rather than self-destructive. With the highways and economic factors, its all a perfect storm.. Robison. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base "crack," with a street value of approximately $471,000. WV State Police cite legal exemptions to deny records involving The first three municipality lawsuits against drugmakersall Ohio casesare scheduled to be heard in U.S. District Court in Cleveland early next year. According to his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, law enforcement received an anonymous tip from a Hagerstown, Maryland storage facility customer reporting that an individual driving a large SUV and a storage unit conducted a suspected drug deal at the facility. Michael Romito, three counts of distribution of heroin. He was taken into custody Tuesday at his Security Road home, Kerns said. A Hagerstown appliance store was allegedly used as a hub for the illegal activities. The arrests were made during an eight-week investigation that was centered in the Queen City Drive and Park Street areas and was launched in response to complaints from citizens, businesses and visitors concerning the solicitation of prostitution. At Meritus Medical Center outside of downtown Hagerstown, nearly three children a week are born addicted to opioids. News FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation 34 indicted in drug ring run from Hagerstown appliance store, feds say Plainspoken but good-natured, and a well-respected journalist, Elliott started atTheHerald-Mailin 1970. "If they just had a pipefine . Along with a prescription for the anti-seizure medication Topamax, his family doctor prescribed him Vicodin to be taken after each episode. o understand the DNA of Hagerstown, you have to go back to the 19th-century industrial boom. She mentions the increased training for Narcan, a medication that can prevent fatal overdoses, across the city. Derosiers isBeing held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. Cameron Tibbs, one counts of distribution of heroin. , Rep. Hoyer on legacy, traditions and Speaker McCarthy, How much more DMV residents will pay for healthcare, Husband of missing DC real estate executive arrested, Virginia H.S. It could not be determined Wednesday if those arrested remained in custody or were on pre-trial release. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Everyone had a story., n its heyday, Hagerstown built the massive Fairchild transport planes that carried U.S. troops across the Pacific during the Korean War; post-war, they made Boeing jets. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. More than 20 Hagerstown residents were indicted for drug trafficking after the Washington County Narcotics Task Force wrapped up a two month long drug investigation into the distribution of heroin, crack cocaine and spice in the area. In some cases, the defendants face penalties of five to 40 years in prison, 20 years in prison and 10 years to life, Bernard said. Maryland bust nets $1M in drugs, 9 indictments, 34 guns Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. The mayor and City Council at the time didnt want it. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. When you cant find work, cant pay your billswho wants to think about that? The investigation involved federal, state and local law enforcement agencies includingthe Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force; the Berkeley and Jefferson County sheriff's offices; the Martinsburg, Charles Town, Ranson and Hagerstown police departments;the Washington County Drug Task Force; West Virginia and Maryland state police; the FBI; the U.S. Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. Photography by Benjamin C. Tankersley | July 2018. the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. Joseph Archie Spain III, 44, of Preston, Maryland. Margerette Derosiers, 28, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Carroll County drug dealers arrested on federal charges - WMAR We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. I fully bought into the War on Drugs and what Reagan was doing, he says. Over a period of about three years, he went from prescription Vicodin to shooting up heroin. The indictment also calls for the forfeiture of $400,000 in cash, a .22 caliber pistol, ammunition and six vehicles, all believed to be proceeds of the drug conspiracy. George Wallace campaigned here in 1968 and 1972. In 2016 (the most recent year available), an average of 113 prescriptions for opioids were written for every 100 Washington County residentsnearly twice the national average. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. Arrest made in Feb. 5 Hagerstown homicide. The rear of North and Locust Food Mart. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. It is a cruel twist that Hagerstown, on the receiving end of so much heroin from Baltimore, has such a shortage of addiction specialists that the Wells House, one of the largest outpatient clinics here, utilizes Baltimore doctors via telemedicine to treat its clients. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. Most arent even here to get clean but to get by. Hagerstown PD's Biggest Drug Bust Caught On Film By Copwatch HTOWN A mortality rate increase for any first-world demographic group had been virtually unheard of for decades, with the exception of Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a phenomenon blamed on soaring alcoholism rates. Meanwhile, health care, housing, and education costs have skyrocketed over the ensuing decades, but wages, adjusted for inflation, have remained essentially flat in Hagerstown, growing just 5 percent in total over that 25-year span. Frederick County Sheriff's Office Assists In Taking Down Major Drug MARTINSBURG Allegedly using Top 3 Resources, an appliance store in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a front for having and selling controlled substances, 15 Eastern Panhandle residents were among those charged in an expansive drug-trafficking operation. Kevin Simmers, a retired Hagerstown police officer, lost his 19-year-old daughter to an overdose and is now building a womens recovery center, Brookes House. Across the country, rural addiction rates have surpassed those in urban areas, yet there is still not a single inpatient drug treatment facility in Washington County. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. The 16-bed treatment project for women is partly to honor their daughter, who once shared her wish of getting off drugs and opening such a center with her parents, but it is also borne of frustration, as the family repeatedly struggled to get the help their daughter needed. The following people were indicted during the investigation: Justin Aaron Spain, 41, of Lanham, Maryland. In a Brookings Institution study of 114 metropolitan areas that specialized in manufacturing from 1980-2005, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg (West Virginia) area had the second-highest percentage of industry job change in the U.S., a staggering 70 percent. Hagerstown, MD 3 days ago. Six years ago, at an I-81 coalition meeting of stakeholders, Western Maryland state police commander Lt. Mike Fluharty coined the phrase Heroin Highway to describe Hagerstowns I-81/I-70 nexus. Those charged are: Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as "Papi," 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland and the Dominican Republic The huge A&W Johnston clock, first built in 1836 and later refurbished, still stands four stories above the town square in a period brick building. 6:15 AM. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. surgeon general, only one in 10 people with an addiction problem receives treatment. Police seized drugs, cash and weapons from the residence, Kerns said. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Magnitude 2.0 earthquake reaches Montgomery County, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? Later, outside a Rotary Club meeting, Keller talks more optimistically about the citys current efforts to tackle the crisis. Then he went from eating it to snorting it. 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But the current economic picture in Hagerstown stands in stark contrast to the days when it earned its Hub City nicknamewhen five major passenger and freight lines merged here in a way that resembled the spokes of a wheel. osh Morningstar could be the poster boy for the use of prescription opioids gone awry. It's hard to imagine Hagerstown and similar cities receiving restitution anywhere near the true cost of the opioid epidemic and officials acknowledge that. Grant briefly escaped, fleeing while handcuffed, and was captured a short distance away, Kerns said. Mayor Richard Trump (no relation to the president),who ran for office on a slate that promised to return God to City Hall, abruptly resigned without explanation after nine months in office in 2006. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the area this year than the last 5 years combined. Its these fast-rolling interstates that carry the deadly opioids, including heroin and fetanyl, flooding Marylands western counties. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Spain is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. Employment or private drug testing options: 5, 10, 12 panel urine drug tests, DOT drug testing and DOT Random Pool, breath alcohol, EtG 3 day alcohol tests, 90 day hair follicle drug tests. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. The National Road, Route 40, began carrying wagon trains through Hagerstown to the Ohio River Valley in 1818. If we were somehow able to turn around the [addiction] numbers today, it would take another 20 years to shake off the damage., police investigating a burglary on West Franklin Street. He blames forces beyond the citys reach, as well as futile and often misguided leadership. Several charged in Cumberland area prostitution sting The crisis, he says, is driving a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, a bellwether for other social problems. 2 counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, 3 counts of using a firearm in drug trafficking, Possession of a controlled dangerous substance not marijuana. Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Bernard saidMota is accused of using hisbusiness, Top 3 Sources on West Washington Street, to store and sell drugs and launder the proceeds. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force performed the drug raid at a Hagerstown apartment after first obtaining a warrant based on a narcotics investigation of that address. Smith accessed the storage unit on 39 separate occasions and obtained at least 250 grams of narcotics during his visits. basketball state quarterfinal highlights, D.C. high school basketball playoffs highlights (3/3/23), Maryland high school basketball playoffs highlights, Court docs reveal videos fmr. Conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics. And now, Hagerstowns unique coordinates, once its greatest asset, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. There wasnt a door that I knocked on when I was campaigning for City Council that people didnt say heroin and the opioid crisis was the number one issue, Keller says. Breezy Jill Beckette, 22, of 807 Hamilton Blvd. These ongoing efforts build on one of Hagerstowns legacy assets, the lush City Park, utilized year-round, as well as the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts therein, where the new Cultural Trail begins before it winds toward downtown. There were a few people dedicated to establishing a Maryland orchestra, a few people trying to revive the Maryland Theatre. Thats everyone I know. Eight planned downtown catalyst projects include an expanded City Farmers Market and the creation of a cultural trail, part of which has already been implemented. Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. Its not the white picket fence. "The operation in this case, I think it's fair to say, dealt with millions of dollars of drugs and proceeds," he said. The - Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maryland | Facebook Police say most of these deals happened in broad daylight. Beckette also was charged with possession of a large amount of heroin (more than 28 grams); possession of a firearm in relationship to a drug-trafficking crime; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and theft of less than $1,000 in value, according to Kerns and online court records. The substance abuse treatment center sits across the street from an abandoned hospital parking garage (the hospital moved out of downtown like nearly everything else), and a seemingly endless stream of addicts in late-model cars, minivans, and pickup trucks come and go until the pharmacy closes at noon. This pooling of investigative resources benefits each investigative unit with increased manpower, less duplication of effort, and by coordinating the targeting of drug offenders. Bernard said agents serveda search warrant at the store in June and seized approximately $500,000 worth of drugs, including a kilogram of heroin and nine kilograms of cocaine. Stephen McCormick, two counts of distribution of cocaine. Police seized more than 80 pounds of meth, 200 bags of fentanyl, more than two dozen guns and $135,000 in cash in a massive drug bust in Montgomery County.