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Lock The seized drugs have a street value of approximately $471,000, according to prosecutors. HAGERSTOWN (WJZ) -- Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug trafficking conspiracy. 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. Michael Anthony Holland, 36, of Hurlock, Maryland. 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. Founded in 1986, the Washington County Narcotics Task Force (NFT) is comprised of members from the Hagerstown Department of Police and the Washington County Sheriffs Office. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorneys Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland, and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit. For the past 44 years, since Valley Mall was built on the outskirts of town, shuttering the department stores, retail shops, restaurants, theaters, and five and dimes, there have been hopes of reviving Hagerstowns once-thriving city center. She discusses plans for the rollout of a new awareness program, Washington Goes Purple, a symbolic color adopted by opioid prevention advocates, geared toward steering youth away from substance abuse. Indirectly, they could have a hand at reversing the public health crises in the long run, civic leaders say. After the public schools and hospital, the largest employers in Washington County today are the sprawling Citi and First Data call centers. The trail, which he helped develop, is primarily for economic development but also gives residents a sense of place and pride in their community. A block away, the City of Hagerstown opened the artist-run Engine Room Art Space and four artist apartments above it in 2015, which also breathes some life into the city. I mean you can kind of look at it as a small part of the community that we you know are dealing with but we know its not just at the end of security road, washignton gardens that end of town, its all over the town, said Sgt. Their daughter, who grew up playing soccer and basketball, became hooked on pills by 18 and then turned to heroin. With the highways and economic factors, its all a perfect storm.. That investigation led to the Narcotics Task Force obtaining 9 search warrants. 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. Grant was treated at Meritus Medical Center and released to authorities, Kerns said. Consider, for example, that three of the four railroad properties on the Monopoly board were spokes in that Hagerstown hub, connecting the city to Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York. We have a long way to go, but the school has brought life downtown, Hovermale says. Bernard had high praise for the cooperative efforts of the agencies involved, saying "they did a tremendous job. 6:15 AM. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. More than 1,000 pounds of prescription medicine is collected in the first two hours of the event, which is held in an empty parking lot outside the county health offices. He was released after posting his $5,000 bond. Nobody 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Its true that from the outside, the county seat of some 40,000 people still looks a bit like Mayberry, with its turn-of-the-century architecture, elegant City Park, church spires, tidy sidewalks, and walkable streets. NEWARK, NJTwo members of an alleged drug trafficking ring based . Baltimore, Maryland - Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.. 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HAGERSTOWN, Md. Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. President Donald Trump spoke to a packed hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport during his campaign in 2016 and won the county vote by a 2-1 margin. 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. Simmers, an outgoing, thick-shouldered 53-year-old, joined the military out of high school in the early 1980s with the intention of going into law enforcement. 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. A Hagerstown appliance store owner is charged with using it as a front for an illegal drug operation estimated to havehandled millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, according to federal authorities. HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DG) - A sex trafficking operation was dismantled in Washington County. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. On Monday, the following people were brought into custody: Terry Ernede Jr., two counts of distribution of heroin. Weve been struggling for decades and hopefully this will get the ball rolling, she says. Plainspoken but good-natured, and a well-respected journalist, Elliott started atTheHerald-Mailin 1970. The first three municipality lawsuits against drugmakersall Ohio casesare scheduled to be heard in U.S. District Court in Cleveland early next year. For the past three years, the Simmerses have been working to build Brookes House in Washington County. This is across the boardand Ill be the first to agree that attitudes are changing because more white people are dyingthats totally fair. We had 13 infant deaths over the past two years, eight of whom were born substance exposed and later died at home because of neglect or some other cause, Piercy says. Simms is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. As the former Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts for Washington County Public Schools, Rob Hovermale was involved in conversations as early as 2000 about opening a public arts high school in Hagerstowntalks that were largely dismissed at the time. Maybe 10-15 percent dont give you any problem and are trying to do the right thing, says Lee Green, an addictions counselor who is also an active member of a 12-step program. (It also broke a record last year with eight homicides, sending its per capita murder rate past Philadelphia and Chicago.). HAGERSTOWN, MD Five Hagerstown residents have been arrested after a major drug and weapons bust February 9th announced by The Washington County Sheriff's Office and its law enforcement partners this week. ; Cody William Grant, 26, of 826 Dewey Ave., Apt. February 21, 2023. The charges includeconspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute drugs, and money laundering. Saturday mornings are the busiest days of the week because the drug treatment clinic is closed on Sundaysmeaning that several hundred people begin showing up at 5 a.m. to ensure that they can collect their extra day's supply . Hagerstown, MD 4 days ago. A locked padlock The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids,. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. In truth, Hagerstown has a higher poverty rate than Baltimore City, a higher percentage of people under 65 with a disability, lower home-ownership rates, and a lower percentage of its workforce with college degrees. 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. Holland is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center without bond. People began to say, Oh, if it can happen to that family, it can happen to my family, Sterling says. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. A Maryland State Police corporal who occasionally works out of the Hagerstown barrack was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaking case information and abetting an illegal drug operation, according to federal court documents. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. This was a normal kid, the daughter of a respected ex-city cop. Timothy Michael Ford, age 23 of Hagerstown, MD (1) Possession of heroin (2) 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 . But he moved his family to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, leaving Hagerstown behind. 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. Christine Jenkins, one count of distribution of heroin. People often use the term self-medicating to describe why people use drugs or alcohol, says Ron Zuskin, a licensed clinical social worker and former University of Maryland faculty member who has worked in Western Maryland. #washcoproud, CDS Possession/Use of Cocaine and Derivatives, CDS Possession/Use of Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl), CDS Sale/Manufacturing Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl), CDS Sale/Manufacturing Other Dangerous Drugs, CDS With Intent to Distribute Narcotics, Please contact Deb Fling at (301) 514-7373 or email, Washington County Government is hiring for full-ti, The Washington County Office of Emergency Manageme, SAVE THE DATE! Drugs, money, weapons confiscated during an operation last week in Hagerstown. Others sell or trade their methadone or bupe (opioid medications used to suppress withdrawal symptoms) to buy the real thing, faking drug tests to game the system. Kimberly Thompson, one count of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. Hagerstown is still a meat and potatoes kind of place, says Elliott. (ABC7) The news from Hagerstown wasn't good. Kevin Simmers relished locking up drug users, no matter how little crack they had on them. The National Road, Route 40, began carrying wagon trains through Hagerstown to the Ohio River Valley in 1818. A methadone clinic was not a part of that vision. , 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. Fifteen Members of Alleged Drug Ring Arrested. And now, Hagerstowns unique coordinates, once its greatest asset, play a leading role in enabling its public health crisis. Forget Special Agent in Charge Washington, DC @DEAWashingtonDC June 29, 2022 Contact: Public Information Office Phone Number: (571) 362-1934 For Immediate Release Ive seen growth in investor confidence, says Director of Community & Economic Development Jill Frick Thompson, attributing it to the citys 10-year plan. Quicker than ordering a pizza.". Andre Luther Woolford, 33, of Hurlock, Maryland. The man seemed nervous. Washington Daily Voice serves the towns of: Boonsboro, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Hagerstown, Halfway, Maugansville, Paramount-Long Meadow, Robinwood, Smithsburg. In 2009, an old theater was transformed into BISFA, a magnet arts high school. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. The school started with 85 students but this year surpassed 300, even though that meant holding classes in hallways and stairwells. He couldnt hold down a job for more than a month or two, he says, and bounced around from one employer to the next: cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, waiting tables, making pizza. "The drug enterprise run by the defendants involved a sophisticated operation including the use of a purported business to act as a front for drug trafficking and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds," Bernard said in a statement. The task force also arrested Shawn Oliver on Monday for having an active warrant out for his arrest for the distribution of heroin, police said. Additionally, in Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. Some of the NFT agents are also federally deputized members of the DEA, which gives these local agents enforcement powers anywhere in the United States. Its not the white picket fence. We need to maintain a sense of hope. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard;U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and U.S. attorney's offices in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Christina Boward, two counts of distribution of heroin. Beckette and Anderson were being held at the detention center Wednesday, each in lieu of a $50,000 bond. CARROLL COUNTY 30-year-old James Samms was arrested for drug distribution conspiracy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the first decades after World War II, during the early rumblings of the automobile age, Hagerstown continued to thrive, becoming a trucking hub as well a rail hub. In a town with two traditional public high schoolsNorth High and South Highit has become the norm for incoming generations to attend several funerals before seeing their first classmate get married. Baltimore, Md. In addition to Mota, the news release listed those indicted in connection with the alleged operation as: All but 11 of the defendants had been arrested as of Wednesday. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. The NFT is housed within the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at the DEA's Hagerstown Office. The person arrested on the outstanding warrant was Violet Benjamin, 53, of Hagerstown. The rear of North and Locust Food Mart. He moved on to 10-milligram Percocet, then 30-milligram. October of 2011, I woke up one day and thought, this is the day you die or the day you get clean. A list of the indicted individuals is available on the U.S. Department of Justice website. a shuttered barber shop on Jonathan Street. Now, how many families do you know that have been affected by addiction? This has been very beneficial since drug violators frequently move through the tri-state area. This place is a blessing. Even as other Rust Belt towns declinelosing union jobs, community, status, and a general hope for a brighter futurethe numbers in Hagerstown are startling when you step back and look at them. A handful, with newer haircuts and cars, might be professionalssomewhere in this politically conservative county. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. Information entered into this system will be submitted to the Washington County Narcotics Task Force only. Theyre bringing in students from nearby counties and occasionally out of state. The Frederick Police Department is seeking assistance locating a 17-year-old male, who has been missing since June. "Drug traffickers don't work nine-to-five hours, so the people investigating this case have to work 24-seven, and this team worked for approximately a year investigating this case," he said. Hagerstown, MD 2 days ago. Anderson was charged with distribution of narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. The 30-count indictment alleges the operation trafficked large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown toBerkeley County, West Virginia, between August2020and June of this year, according to a news release from Bernard's office. A Hagerstown appliance store was allegedly used as a hub for the illegal activities. All Rights Reserved. Its a phone call away. For a century, Hagerstown had been the dominant city, and Frederick a little cow town. On February 19, city health officials reported the number of heroin overdoses to which EMS crews and city police responded to. 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. The two have been charged in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy in the Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. She highlighted not just the personal toll of the opioid epidemic on families but decreasing property values, its effect on businesses and workforce participation rates, and the immense strain placed on the citys police, EMS, and fire department budgets. Theyll deliver. "The operation in this case, I think it's fair to say, dealt with millions of dollars of drugs and proceeds," he said. he one place in Maryland that has had a long struggle with heroin use is Baltimore, of course. But today, while Frederick, just 25 miles east down I-70, is regularly named among the best places to live in the U.S., Hagerstown more closely resembles a microcosm of Baltimoreessentially a small town with big-city problems, continually in survival mode. Multiple law enforcement agencies ultimately provided assistance with the investigation. Investigators have seized 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin and 12 ounces of cocaine base. Grant was being held without bond Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center. Grant briefly escaped, fleeing while handcuffed, and was captured a short distance away, Kerns said. Most Popular. Julie E. Greene is a reporter for The Herald-Mail. The team lost its Orioles affiliation in the 1980s when the Os said goodbye to Hagerstown and hello to nearby Frederick. Earlier this spring, Keller, the city councilwoman who lost her best friend to an overdose, announced that the city would be joining several hundred municipalities, counties, and states in pursuing legal action against the nations largest drugmakers, alleging that they played a key role in launching the opioid epidemic. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Martinsburg Police Chief George Swartwood said the arrests and seizures of drugs represent "more to this community than just numbers on a page.". You have permission to edit this article. She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Thats everyone I know. Neither did the Washington County health officer or then-Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith, who questioned the wisdom of opening a methadone clinic in a city that, he claimed, did not have a heroin problem. . OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Christina Trenton Nee, COO, and Charlie Mooneyhan, CEO, of Wells House. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. "This is the largest drug bust in my time as a prosecutor and as the elected state's attorney," Caroline County State's Attorney Joe Riley said. Although the city has seen little interest from developers for the empty lots along the trail, Tissue says several nearby buildings have been purchased and rehabbed. Just like all shopping centers it's half empty now and easy to find parking. She can be reached via email at julieg@herald-mail.com. HAGERSTOWN, Md. 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. While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. , 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. 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. Washington street leading east at the hagerstown public square in 1957. A release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office revealed the following: A sitting train and truck behind a lot along West Franklin Street. In an indictment unsealed on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur announced that four have been arrested and two are still being sought in connection with the Hagerstown drug bust.