An official website of the United States government. With several of their cases having roots that trace back to Mexican cartels, the Task Force confiscated more than $16 million in illegal drugs last year. MORE. Snow chances Friday, What worked, didnt work at new KCI terminal 1st, Chiefs rank among worst in NFLPA Report Cards, KC Police Board remembers fallen KCPD officer, K9, KC needs volunteers for Big 12 Championships, events, Kansas City weather: Why your car may be dusty today, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be a deadly dose. FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Their objective is to "get the head of the snake," rather than just chasing the tail. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. In addition to the criminal conspiracy, Hicks is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Nine individuals, primarily from West Plains, Mo., have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Howell, Greene, and Texas counties. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. The content of State of Missouri websites originate in English. Since being approved in 1989, COMBAT has funded the Task Forces operations. Al Capone, of course, routinely referred to himself as a being just a businessman. The notorious Chicago gangster ordered the infamous 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre and countless other murders. Task Force Trying To Stay Ahead Of Drug Cartels Focused On Doing Business In Jackson County. So, were not well known in the community as a whole. TEXAS COUNTY, Mo. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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. Additional items are still being logged into evidence. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Lock Prescription pills not obtained from a licensed pharmacy are not only illegal to possess, but when taken can also be dangerous. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. by: Staff Writer. Update 3/10/22, 3:32 p.m. Those detectives sole focus is on the Task Forces cases, so they need not worry about being pulled off that duty to work on other cases. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. John E. Johnson, 29, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, Dunklin County Sheriffs Department and Kennett Police Department. The DOJ reported that the following defendants were each charged in an 86-count indictment unsealed on March 1 and were residents of Kansas City, besides Deone D. Gardner, 28, also known as "Twin," who was from Belton, Missouri: Kevin C. Cokes also known as "Big K" and "Uncle," 60; Mercedez M. Gardner, also known as "Twin," 36; November D. Gardner, also known as "October" and "Nuttie," 23; Idella Gardner, also known as "Lupi," 34; Delmar L. Hatcher, 51; Nathaniel B. Chapple, 24; Treandre R. Walker, 24; Hazel M. Berymon, 64; Carlton L. Burns, also known as "Pooder," 24; Christopher J. Hicks-Berry, 35; Kyeir C. Theus, 35; Tony L. Davis, 52; Michael R. Parks, 62; Brian T. Boxly, 45; Parris J. Walker, 27, Jachobette J. Gardner, 42; Reginald L. Mitchem, 42; Eliot E. Cox, 32; Martell C. Cratch, 30; Anthony D. Stuckey, 66; Matthew Rogers, 59; Gloria Hutchinson, 37; Eddie L. Nicholson, Jr., also known as "Junior," 54; Toneisha R. Blackmon, 29; Shania N. Bailey, 23. Hollywood was ordered to forfeit $73,960.00 in drug proceeds and will be placed on supervised release for a term of five years after the completion of his incarceration. The affidavit also cites previous instances in which Alihodzic was confronted by law enforcement. It really is like getting a call from customer service.Among the weapons the Jackson County Drug Task Force has confiscated this spring include a flame thrower, fully automatic pistols and an arsenal of 46 long rifles found in one home. Please visit the resources page for information on education and linkage to care programs. But the sophistication level of todays traffickers goes far beyond using modern communications. Additional charges may be filed on the other two suspects pending lab results. The data displayed here helps to tell the story so everyone interested in the topic can better understand past and current trends. Hannibal Police arrest six people in drug busts by KHQA Staff December 17th 2020, 10:56 AM PST Two Hannibal residents, Amanda Fugate, 37, and Christopher Davis, 31, are both charged with methamphetamine distribution and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Brown, 36, of Leavenworth; and Amy S. Janish, 44, of Lincoln, Missouri. Nine large baggies filled with cash, a half-dozen weapons, a bulletproof vest and a police scanner were taken by police "after a lengthy narcotics investigation . GREENE COUNTY, Mo. 400 East 9th Street The criminals running these cartels think of themselves as being CEOsentrepreneurs, captains of industry, innovators. Most illicit drugs being bought and sold in Jackson County originated with what the FBI calls a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO). Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted for Meth Conspiracy SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Theres a good chance those pills might be fakes with potentially fatal side effects. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( 1 problem, stresses Cummings. 1 problem, stresses Cummings. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Those operations have expanded dramatically in the last decadefrom mostly local investigations to the Task Forces standard practice today of joining with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administrator to develop cases that result in federal prosecutions. The suspects also had $7,400 in cash with them. Gutierrez also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Texas County. LEXINGTON, Mo. drug bust leads to three arrests, City of Springfield wants your input on parking downtown, Fact Finders: What you should know about marijuana on commercial flights, Do Good with Daniel: CCCC Sertoma 417 Whiskey Festival Batch No. They control the drug trafficking in this area.. Of Meth Seized, Case Illustrates Cartel Activity In Jackson County & Beyond, 'Demand' For Meth Remains High In Jackson County, Jackson County Drug Task Force Changes With The Times. I dont think so., 149% Increase In Overdose Deaths Linked To Fentanyl, Counterfeit PillsWidely Available & More Lethal. Sign up for FOX4 email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Hollywood was arrested after officers observed him meet with a suspected drug courier in Kennett, Missouri, and found him to be in possession of twenty pounds of methamphetamine. K-9 Pelle was a very good boy today. A Kansas City, Mo., man who was arrested last night during the police standoff in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard has been charged in federal court for offenses A Joplin and Webb City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms. A locked padlock He helped to remove more illegal drugs today on I-44 in Franklin Co. The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. 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, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, Nine Southern Missouri Residents Indicted For Meth Conspiracy. The burden of drug overdose impacts families, communities and healthcare systems. The drug trafficking organization was believed to be mainly operating in east Kansas City, Missouri. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Officers also found a number of spent shell casings on top of the truck, in the street, and in a nearby residences front yard. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Some State of Missouri websites can be translated into many different languages using Google Translate, a third party service (the "Service") that provides automated computer The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Griffin, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Ruger .22-caliber pistol on Nov. 26, 2018. Among the weapons the Jackson County Drug Task Force has confiscated this spring include a flame thrower, fully automatic pistols and an arsenal of 46 long rifles found in one home. The Google Translate Service is offered as a convenience and is subject to applicable Google Terms of Service. MSHP said K-9 Pelle will be getting an extra treat for his work on the drug bust. Nearly all 21st Century drug traffickers use cell phones, and some even arrange deals via Facebook. At the peak of the meth lab crisis in the county, the Task Force might help shut down about 140 labs per year. A cartel CEO enforces his personnel rules with violenceextreme violence. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Hicks, Ortega, Griffin, Cooper, and Ross. In 1989 he joined the Independence PDs first-ever Drug Unit, with various stints to follow on the Task Force in the 1990s and 2000s as a detective, then a sergeant. In addition, some applications and/or services may not work as expected when translated. Court documents said suspects were known to be violent and carry firearms. Of Meth Seized. The indictment also charges various other defendants in the remaining counts with illegally possessing firearms and with possessing and distributing methamphetamine. They are here. Updated: Dec. 23, 2016 at 6:51 AM PST. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The transnational organized criminals trafficking drugs in Jackson County 90 years later are no less ruthless. Ortega, who has previously been convicted of at least one felony offense, allegedly was in possession of a Jennings (Bryco) .380-caliber pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a Jennings (Jimenez Arms) 9mm pistol on May 7, 2018. As COMBAT Director Vince Ortega points out, swallowing a tablet with fentanyl in it could be every bit as deadly as biting down on a cyanide capsule. While morphine is 1 times stronger than oxycodone, the semi-synthetic opioid in OxyContin, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. MORE, February 24, 2020Drug Task Record-Setting $30.4 Million In SeizuresThe Jackson County Drug Task Force had never before seized more than $20 million in illegal substances in a single year. Updated: Dec 8, 2020 / 03:23 PM CST. 2020 / 03:23 PM CST. ), We had a situation when we wanted to indict 25 people all at once up at the federal courthouse, Cumming says. ), "For a drug dealer," Cummings continues, "having your prayers answered means nobody getting killed and not getting arrested. The drugs, valued at more than $12 million, were hidden in metal containers that were sealed inside four tires. During the organizations annual conference, the Missouri Narcotic Officers Association (MNOA) named the task force the Law Enforcement Unit of the Year for the fifth time in the last 10 years. Andrew B. Lewis, 31, of Licking; Melissa Neal, 39, Licking; and Stephanie M. Hawkins, 35, of Salem, were all arrested in the investigation. In a 1997 article, The New York Timesdescribed a typical lab in Blue Springs as a mom-and-pop operation, set up to support mom and pops own addictionswith whatever they didnt ingest themselves then being sold. Above, the seal of the DOJ is pictured. Room 5510 ET: This article was updated with additional information. "I don't think anyone was going to sit on that much meth for very long," he said. MORE, July 19, 2019Case Illustrates Cartel Activity In Jackson County & BeyondWhat started off as a seemingly simple casea Kansas City, Kan., undercover police officer asking the Jackson County Drug Task Force with assistance when a drug deal made in Kansas was to be completed in Missouriturns into a months-long investigation involving multiple federal and local agencies. Deputies then searched the vehicle, which led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia and substances believed to be fentanyl and methamphetamine. Theyre checking up on him. The Department of Justice has announced the arrest of more than two dozen people in connection to an armed and violent drug-trafficking organization in Missouri. Troopers made the stop in Lafayette County, east of the Kansas City metro Wednesday. (As an extra incentive, a cartel employee working in the United States realizes breaking the rules might cost the lives of any family members back in Mexico. Ortega, Hicks, and Griffin would also be required to forfeit to the government a money judgment representing the proceeds obtained as a result of their participation in the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Authorities seek charges for distribution of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances and illegal possession of a firearm. . When searching through the box truck they found an interior portion of the plywood which the trooper suspect was hallowed out for contraband. The federal courthouse in Kansas City can really only handle about 25 indictments in a given day, and we tried to indict 25 in one shot. 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