This case illustrates the devastating impact that violence fueled by drug trafficking can have on our communities. Drug traffickers, and the organizations they work with, use fear and violence to enrich themselves with little regard for the communities they destroy in the process. Upon Platts release from prison, he moved to Conway, S.C., to become a pastor. People liked what we had. Across the country,the trend was similar. ", "This is the evolution where the criminal legal system needs to move towards," she said. Miles is facing federal drug charges for smuggling marijuana and cocaine from Texas. Fayetteville police initiated a drug smuggling investigation in 2006, which has led to the biggest bust in the city's history. Not only does she question the fairness of continuing to arrest people, she also questions the department's use of resources, especially as violence in the city continues. Heroin is one of the deadliest killers on our streets. Critically-acclaimed actor Mark Wahlberg wasn't always the clean-cut leading-man type he appears to be today. CLAYTON, North Carolina (WTVD) -- In the biggest drug operation in department history, Clayton Police put 19 people behind bars Wednesday after a series of early morning raids. Your message has not been sent. Police were able to proveto a jurythat Saldana smuggled about 20 pounds of methworthmore than $1 million, 1,500 miles to North Carolina and Virginia from Brownsville. When I started doing it and people were, like, giving me the clothes off their back, (I realized) Im more addicted to selling the drugs than I am to the drugs themselves," she said. You made choices, you decided to do what you decided to do and there are consequences, Platt said. Some of the defendants face additional drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. Lock It wasnt hard to sell,she said. We would get out of the car and the Mexican guys that we never met put the drugs in the car and picked up the money and walked away, Lisa Dawn said. "They're the most violent people that I know. "My biggest problem is, I think we've had a very violent year," he said. Wilmington police say they've rounded up four "big time" drug dealers. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. WebBiggie began selling drugs at the age of 12, and dropped out of school at the age of 17 to pursue crime as a full-time career, according to Ready to Die, a biography chronicling his Allen began selling drugs during college and continued to do so until his arrest for bringing about a pound-and-a-half of cocaine into the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in October 1978. Trailer-park champion Kid Rock sold drugs before he hit it big in the music industry. I could have been mad at (his father), I could have been angry but I wouldnt be here with you today.. With egg prices on the rise, are more people buying chickens? Example video title will go here for this video. The DEA credits that to better intelligence and information sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement. Merriweather told CMPD about the change in November. In recent years, law enforcement agencies have found drugs, cash and guns at traffic stops on and near I-40, a truck stop in Salisbury, the Mexican border headed to Hickory and on the streets of Charlotte. And apparently, his mother knew he dealt drugs the whole time, but she basically ignored it because he didn't deal in front of the house. For 28 years,Saldanalivedat the same North Carolina address on Ervin Houck Drive in West Jefferson, a rural town of about 1,300roughly 100 miles north of Charlotte. It didnt makeuserssick like homemade shake and bakemeth did,Lisa Dawn remembered. Instead, for now, the agency is maintaining its status quo. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Allen's trial was set for that following November and, according to Biography.com, it was during that one-month waiting period that Allen decided to give comedy a try, debuting at the Detroit Comedy Castle. "It makes them be more alert and productive if they're working and it can get out of their system quicker," Conaway said. Avehiclefrom Texasparkedat the Walmart in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Williams said. Brown is being held under a $150,000 bond and Gause is being held under a $450,000 bond. According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2019, federal agents uncovered ledgers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization showing that Daniels received just over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine between August 2018 and October 2019. Saldana, now 50, is serving a life sentencein a Kentucky federalprison forconspiracy to distribute meth and possession of an unregistered firearm. However, it can just as easily be done in urban counties.". According to Kid Rock's bio on Rolling Stone's official website, the musician sold drugs from time to time as a teenager in order to make some extra spending money. Agents say Charlotte's booming population is partly to blame. Lock A 21-year federal prison sentence later, Platt, now 57, is shedding the Money Rock nickname he earned during his drug-dealing heyday to focus on helping prevent others from going down the same destructive path. Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent began selling crack and cocaine at the age of 12, while living with his grandmother. Cunningham has remained a critic of criminal justice reform in recent years and once again, is left shaking his head by decisions in Mecklenburg County. We were proud to provide this financial expertise as we worked alongside our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice, said Matthew D. Line, Acting Special Agent in Charge for IRS-CI. That case stopped with him, but he was connected to the CJNG.. Matador Recovery 44 subscribers Subscribe 17 Share 3.9K views 4 years ago Matador Recovery takes the TN WebThe Drug Enforcement Administration has reported a notable increase in seizures of methamphetamine and cocaine that include fentanyl. Since early 2011, CJNGhassmuggled hundreds of millions of dollars of drugs over the borderinto the U.S., spreading into atleast35 stateswith a sophisticated network thathas usedless populated rural areas to quietly movetons of product, a Courier Journal investigation found. In making todays announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray praised the outstanding efforts of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John A. Late Tuesday afternoon, in response to our reporting, CMPD emailed officers, detailing Merriweather's new policy and telling them they "have discretion to police and should continue to police in a way that builds confidence and safety in our community, equipped with the knowledge that certain cases will likely not be prosecuted.". WebHall, NC 27045 888-746-2351. Join us for partnership and thought leadership as we unpack todays child care challenges and opportunities. "I was in treatment for 10 months and came out on the other side," she said. CHARLOTTE, N.C. United States Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced today that eight individuals are facing federal drug conspiracy charges for their involvement in a narcotics distribution ring operating in Mecklenburg County. A separate criminal indictment was filed charging Brandy Nicole Short, 34, of Gastonia, N.C. with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, bringing the total number of those arrested in connection this investigation to nine. A gunsmith who liked cocaine would handmake their bullets, Lisa Dawn said. Frank Lucas made his success as a drug trafficker by buying heroin directly from the Golden Triangle; one of the most extensive areas in the world producing and trafficking heroin until Afghanistan exceeded Asia in the early years of the 21st century. It wasnt always cash we got, she said. Officers say he was dealing mass quantities of cocaine out of his business X-Slave Fashions on Castle Street. For 6 years a drug dealing group sold drugs in the Charlotte, NC area. WebIREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Twenty-two drug dealers were arrested after a massive round-up operation by the Iredell County Sheriffs Office. Explore the Learning Center and discover courses covering industry standard best practices in child care. she replied. WebHis office is no longer prosecuting most marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine possession cases, including some involving suspected drug dealers and not just He said buyers are interested in what they consider to be the benefits of the drug. Either way, his passion in life was always music, and he managed to get away from dealing and become a very successful performer. He paid taxes, had citizenship and helped raise his three American daughters. Sheunderstands the hold the cartels super drugs have on the region, and a surplus of would-be dealers eager tofollow in her footsteps no matter thedanger. WebAs the leader of a statewide drug ring, Antonio McKoy was connected enough to get bricks of cocaine from international cartels, careful enough to bury bags of cash around rural CHARLOTTE, N.C. Drug Enforcement Administration agents say millions of dollars in meth and other drugs are running up and down the Charlotte-area's interstates, trafficked by dangerous drug kingpins from Mexico. In2012,police started buildingtheir casewhen they found a confidential informant with a connectionto one of Saldanas associates, allowing them toinfiltratethe web with controlled buys. (arrested), Martha Olivia Placencia Beltran, 48, of Charlotte. If you understand the drug business, theyre like cockroaches. Then again, after hearing his music, we think maybe he should have stuck with dealing drugs. Antonio DaShawn Daniels, a/k/a Freckleface Shawn, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia was indicted on August 11, 2020. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the governments burden to prove the defendants guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. "It's coming in large, large quantities from Mexico. Rather than bring those people to trial, prosecutors will refer them to voluntary treatment programs. Saldana had multiple couriers who moved the money south and the drugs north. The arrests of these individuals are a testament to the high level of cooperation between our federal and local law enforcement counterparts as we work together to achieve our common goal: to disrupt drug networks from operating in this district and to stem the flow of drugs they pour into our communities, said U.S. Attorney Murray. I said, God dang,we can do better than that., I said,Go prove it, Lisa Dawnremembered. But the way he went about improving his community also hurt it. Conaway said they're also seeing a presence of fentanyl and heroin. His hardworking guisewas just whatCJNGwanted:Someonewithroots, a house,a joband a clean record. It was the power. WebOver 20 kilograms of cocaine and heroin were sold on the streets. For her, the new policy is a full circle moment. In Charlotteand the nearby mountain counties, othercartels have supplied drugs to the region, but CJNG has been the mostdominant. CJNGs high-potency meth started making its way into the region post-2011 through Atlanta, the cartels Southeast hub, Healy said. The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEAs interactive websites at www.justhinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.campusdrugprevention.org and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv. Charlotte woman was locked in room for 5 days before police shooting, report shows, Novant to take over two hospital systems near Charlotte in a $320 million deal, Get ready for less sleep in Charlotte. It is unclear if they are involved in heroin trafficking. Conaway also said agents are having success busting these operations, which is evident by several high-profile cases last year alone. When to set your clocks for daylight saving time, Timeline puts Murdaugh at crime scene, SC prosecutor says in trial closing after Moselle visit, Day 27 live updates: Murdaugh family weapons killed victims, SC prosecutor says in closing, Crimes, guns, suspensions and dropouts soar in NC public schools after the pandemic, AirDrop threats sent to CMS students; 4 school lockdowns not related, 74,000 & growing: Some NC police departments stockpile guns rather than release them, Gun violence is a growing cause of death for children in NC, task force study finds. 227 West Trade St. "My understanding from Spencer was that CMPD was notified of this change in mid November 2020 and was supposed to get the word out to rank and file quickly," a prosecutor in charge of the drug cases wrote to CMPD on January 19. Conaway said the meth is shipped in liquid form to Atlanta where it's converted to crystal meth and brought to the Charlotte-area, often in tractor-trailers. His office is no longer prosecuting most marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine possession cases, including some involving suspected drug dealers and not just misdemeanors; felonies too. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. "If I'm able to get a homicide trial or a violent crime trial in the court a month faster, a year faster, I think that does so much to increase the level of accountability and increase people's confidence in our justice system and increase safety on the streets and neighborhoods of Mecklenburg County. Feb 24, 2023. The cocaine came from Porter, Texas, just north of Houston. Since 2012, a joint local, state and federal task force known as Operation Dixie Crystalhas led to the convictions of more than 266federal defendants inwestern North Carolinafor meth trafficking, federal officials said. Rodolfo Medina and Martha Beltran are also facing charges of international money laundering, stemming from money transfers of drug proceeds wired to Mexico. "We've seen increased cartel activity here," DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Conaway said. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. But apparently, he did while attending Long Beach Polytechnic High School, in Long Beach, California. Your donation or partnership can help families access high-quality, affordable child care. Youre going to play on the same team whether you are from the north side, west side, east side, south side, Blood, Crip, Gangster Disciple, Hidden Valley King, Black or Asian. It was Williamswho started staking outSaldana'spropertyin 2010, often watching from the woods or taking down vehicletagscoming and going. (arrested) Rodolfo Medina, Jose Reyes, and Kevin Velasquez Melendez are also charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin. Catalyzing Growth: Using Data to Change Child Care. That doesn't happen by being locked up. What do you want? Behind the History: Mayor Vi Lyles is Charlotte's first African American female mayor, Pictures of vehicles released in search for missing SC 6-year-old girl, Housing Boom: Micro-apartments are popping up in South End, Man arrested for burglary after seen on camera terrorizing Charlotte neighborhood. Investigative reporter Kala Kachmar and photographer Alton Strupp traveled to Charlotte and rural counties in North Carolina to find out more about drug rings connected CJNG. Now, the cartels Southeast hub, Healy said othercartels have supplied drugs to the region but! Is serving a life sentencein a Kentucky federalprison forconspiracy to distribute meth possession. 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