Defendants originally charged in the indictment are Trevor Scott Sparks, 31, Gerald L. Ginnings, 40, Gloria May Jones, 30, Vicente Araujo, 23, Leslie Ladon Walker, 33, and Paul J. Kibodeaux, 37, all of Kansas City, Mo. Almost all the 29 members of the conspiracy declined interview requestsor had the request denied by their prison. Fill out the form below and one of our team members will reach out to help you get started. Whether youre looking for treatment or for aftercare options, we can point you in the right direction. However, it's unclear if taking down the meth ring has had any effect on meth use in theSpringfield area. - Eleven residents in the Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Joseph, Missouri, areas have been added to a federal indictment that now charges a total of 25 defendants for their roles in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. Rodriguez, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Taurus .410-caliber revolver on Jan. 4, 2019. While many Americans were putting turkeys in ovens, watching football in the living room, or driving to their grandmothers' houses, officers were listening to the phone calls of Friend and Harmon. Glosson is also charged with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being an unlawful user of controlled substances (heroin) in possession of firearms. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. We focus more on the harder scale drugs like meth and heroin. CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. In 2012, about 24 percent of high school seniors reported they had used marijuana in the last month, that number dropped to 16 percent in 2014 and then moved to 22 percent this year. I came here and in my first shift I probably saw four or five patients acutely intoxicated on meth.. -- 12 pounds of meth and 6.5 pounds of heroin, seized from a Springfield home. The second most commonly abused class of drugs were stimulants (including methamphetamine) for those who entered drug addiction treatment in 2007. Police estimated that the seized drugs are worth between $600,000 and $700,000. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted for Meth Conspiracy, KC Man Charged with Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm After Arrest During Police Standoff, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted For Meth Conspiracy. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Worsham, Sims, and Lindsey are each also charged with one count of possessing heroin and/or fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Major Springfield Drug Bust Part of Year-Long Investigation by: Lindsay Clein. Other family and friends noted his generosity, saying he supported his own family and others financially even helping pay for the schooling of the son of a family friend after his father walked out on them. Griffin also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. "This significant seizure not only puts a stop to this distribution ring, but also shows that our Narcotics Unit continues to get deadly drugs off the street, while arresting the right people," Police Commissioner John Barbieri said in a statement. (null!=i&&i!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][n]=r)}}); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How to Choose The Right Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program, Addiction Treatment Focused on Health And Wellness in FL (Florida). Reece said those spikes were likely the result of a couple of big seizures and not a reflection of increased use of the drugs in Springfield. I did my residency in Cleveland, Ohio, and over four years I didnt see one patient on meth, Jones said. In some states, the number of meth lab seizures has been significantly reduced. ", The biggest year for marijuana seizures was 2013 when Springfield police collected more than 185pounds of pot. Crawford allegedly possessed an Armscor of the Philippines 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Dec. 3, 2018, and a Lorcin .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Jan. 15, 2019. Police Sergeant Jason Grellner said, " Gutierrez also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Texas County. These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Task Force Group in Springfield; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Springfield, Mo., Police Department; the Greene County, Mo., Sheriffs Department; the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriffs Department; the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department; and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Our interdiction unit was hard at work today, taking 110 pounds of illegal marijuana off the streets. Two men from California face drug trafficking charges in that investigation. A locked padlock Drug traffickers allegedly kept narcotics and money at the Springfield house, with high level dealers using the house to pick up drugs for distribution, authorities said. In a separate but related case, Derrick E. Dailey, also known as Cuzzo, 34, William C. Farisse, also known as Wack, 33, Roderick L. Stewart, 35, Antwanae L. Morgan, 29, Robert D. Everette, 40, and Dominique Glosson, 26, all of Springfield, were among those charged in November and December 2019. The News-Leader obtaineddata from the Springfield Police Department on how much heroin, meth, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and LSD its investigators have seized over the last six years. Hicks allegedly was in possession of a Rohm .22-caliber revolver, a Lorcin .380-caliber pistol, a Hi-Point .40-caliber pistol, an FMJ .45-caliber derringer, a Jimenez Arms .22-caliber pistol, a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, a Browning 16-gauge shotgun, and a Remington .30-06 caliber rifle on July 24, 2018. That number has remained consistent since 2002. In 2009, the Treatment Episode Data Set indicated that 48,628 people entered drug and alcohol rehabs in Missouri. Glosson was allegedly in possession of a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Oct. 23, 2019. U.S. Attorney's Office They just swarmed it, Flesch said. Acevedo, Rodriguez and Hernandez are all charged with trafficking more than 200 grams of heroin and cocaine, eight counts of illegal firearm possession, possession of ammunition without an FID card, larceny of a firearm and improper storage of a firearm. An official website of the United States government. Each of the defendants, with the exception of Kibodeaux, Rogan, and McClure, are charged together with possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of violent crimes and drug-trafficking crimes. Bedell is also charged with two counts of distributing heroin and/or fentanyl, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Among the seizeddrugs were packages of narcotics labeled "Playboy" and "SpongeBob.". At their peak in the early 2000s, at-home meth labs in the Ozarks became synonymous with the local area code, 417. Leath allegedly possessed an RG .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Ruger .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Dec. 14, 2018, and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol on May 22, 2019. [vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=866-812-8231 style=custom custom_background=#81387d custom_text=#ffffff shape=square size=lg i_type=entypo i_icon_entypo=entypo-icon entypo-icon-phone css_animation=bounceIn add_icon=true link=url:tel%3A866-812-8231|||][/vc_column][/vc_row]. All rights reserved (About Us). ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. "I want to thank the leadership of Commissioner Barbieri, D.A. With 189 in Greene County, that was second only to Jefferson County near St. Louis. How Can a Florida Heroin Rehab Center Help Me? It should be noted that these Missouri drug abuse statistics are not intended as an academic reference. My understanding is that meth production has gone from basements and little hideouts to industrial grade stuff in Mexico and were just importing it, he said. Jones describes death by meth as slow over time. In 2014, Springfield police say investigatorsseized more than 11 pounds of LSDafter finding a total of 1 gram in the three previous years. The Springfield Police Department announced Wednesday that it has raided a major Western Massachusetts drug trafficking operation, seizing over 2 kilograms of heroin, 490 grams of cocaine,. A Drug Enforcement Agency spokesman told the News-Leader this summer the Ozarks has a reputation nationwide for meth,particularly the homemade variety. Marijuana was the most commonly cited drug of abuse in Missouri in 2007. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, Eleven More Defendants Indicted for $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy, KC Man Charged with Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm After Arrest During Police Standoff, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, Eleven More Defendants Indicted For $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy. Hopefully, all this hard work does not go for want - due to some of our judges in our court system,"Sarno said in a statement. A spokeswoman for Cox Hospital also said the medical staff has not noticed an increase this year in cocaine-related hospital visits. That tan, single-story home was rented by Harmon, but shewasn't there the night of the Thanksgiving raid. KOLR-TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, KOZL-TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, KRBK TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Kansas City, MO 64106, Telephone:(816) 426-3122 Methamphetamine has devastating effects on drug users and can lead to memory loss, "meth mouth," overdose and death. Mercy Hospitals Emergency Room in Springfield often treats drug addicts. That year, the Greene County coroner recorded 7 deaths from the drug. (KY3) - A trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol made a huge drug bust Monday during a traffic stop in Saline County. Jeremy A. Ingram, 42, Laurie B. Holmes, 39, and Lonnie J. Tinker, 36, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Twenty-five people were charged Monday with taking part in a drug ring that allegedly trafficked more than . The estimated street value is $85,000. For drug dependency and unmet treatment needs, the figures varied greatly from year to year. Noose, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Taurus .38-caliber revolver on Feb. 11, 2019. It was investigated by the South Central Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriffs Department, the West Plains, Mo., Police Department, and the Mountain View, Mo., Police Department. Thats why it often takes more than medicine to save a life from addiction. Shirley J. Hicks, 61, Raymon F. Ortega, 63, Benny D. Griffin, 57, Jose I. Gonzales, 37, Jordan W. Gutierrez, 25, and Shaun M. Ross, 39, all of West Plains, Missouri; Fontella J. Noose, 38, of Springfield, Missouri; James E. Cooper, 52, of Mountain View, Missouri; and Luis Ortiz Rodriguez, 36, address unknown, were charged in a 19-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A KOLR 10 investigation set out to find out if Missouri, or Greene County, is still the meth capital of the world. Other Drugs All sorts of cars were pulling up to the house late at night and leaving shortly after, Flesch said. But now it just seems that theyre acutely intoxicated and they come in with altered mental status.. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy, including $2,200 seized by law enforcement from Glossons residence on March 7, 2019; $11,266 seized by law enforcement from a vehicle occupied by Dailey and Morgan on Nov. 14, 2019; $5,214 seized by law enforcement from Farisses hotel room on Nov. 14, 2019; and $4,400 belonging to Dailey, which was seized by law enforcement during the search of a residence on Nov. 27, 2019. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Springfield Police Lt. Lawrence Murphy credited Det. There was the young hairstylist who got hooked, in part, because of the powerful weight-loss effectsof meth. Before you go to work, before you make breakfast for your family, before anything.. I guess the cops were watching them, too, but I didnt know that, Flesch said. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. There were 12,052 individuals who entered treatment for marijuana addiction. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. The former church deacon who said he turned back to meth after his wife's death. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Additionally, Rory Dale Bechtel, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. According to the indictment, conspirators received $4,160,000 in exchange for the unlawful distribution of more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street price of $8,000 per kilogram of methamphetamine. Since 2004, meth lab busts across the country become scarce. Charlie Romine is also a former addict. We invite you to share your journey of recovery and be featured on Recovery Connection! In 2010, 4,341 people were admitted to addiction treatment facilities for heroin addiction. Have a question about Government Services? The U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Missouri said 15 residents of Joplin and Carl Junction were charged in a 41-count indictment returned under seal by a grand jury in . Missouri was once known as the meth capital of the U.S. Now the drug is coming from major distributors Bags of everything.. Araujo, Walker, Thurmond, Schroeder, Meyers, Hack, Bechtel, Laws, and Parton also are charged together in one count of being drug users in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. 79% of all those admitted for marijuana addiction were males.