227 West Trade St. Unfortunately, heroin and methamphetamine has impacted virtually every community in the country, including Union County, and we must continue to use all available resources to protect our citizens and bring dealers to justice. CJNG hid drugs on trucks shipping furniture, ceramics and produce into the U.S. through Texas cities such as Brownville, Laredo and McAllen, Healy said. These results would not be possible without them.. It also reflects our commitment to removing drug traffickers and their co-conspirators from our streets. He got caught dealing several times, but it wasn't until he sold cocaine to an undercover cop in 1994 that he faced some serious jail timethree to nine years. "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. It was Williamswho started staking outSaldana'spropertyin 2010, often watching from the woods or taking down vehicletagscoming and going. 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. Drug Enforcement Administration agents say meth is king. The role of IRS, Criminal Investigation in narcotics investigations is to follow the money, which enabled us to financially disrupt and dismantle this major drug trafficking organization. Wilmington police say they've rounded up four "big time" drug dealers. Vice officers confiscated three guns, around $15,000 and a quarter kilo of cocaine. Every Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Platt brings youth from all over Charlotte to a gym at New Shiloh Baptist Church. A locked padlock He said he sold drugs because he had to, adding, "I know that sounds corny, but this is the truth." As crazy as that sounds, he really did.. From an early age, Belton Platt says, he had a desire to help his people. People liked what we had. All rights reserved. Now that's method acting. In an interview with George Lopez back in 2011, Cameron Diaz, who attended the same school, claims that she bought weed from Snoop Dogg back then. But the way he went about improving his community also hurt it. Kenneth Bennett and JeremyNunnenkampforged anothermain connection tothe border that linked CJNG meth to the region in2012 and 2013 before they got busted, according to law enforcement. The former Morehead-Cain scholar says UNC Chapel Hill banned him based on a conspiracy by four women to falsely accuse him of sexual misconduct. After a prison term and years as a minister, hes back in town as supervisor of an anti-violence Platt and his wife packed up and moved to Charlotte on June 27, 2018. This case is presented as a part of Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement), which is an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorneys Office to partner with federal and local law enforcement to fight the devastating effects that illegally-prescribed painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl have on our neighborhoods. I am proud of our partnership with the DEA and FBI in making the largest removal of heroin in the state of Georgia. They take their sentence on the chin.. What Lisa Dawn didnt know was thatherboyfriendsconnections weredeeply rooted inoneof themost dangerous drug cartels in the world a rising power thathassaturatedthe U.S.with ultra-puremethamphetamine,cocaine, heroin and fentanylfrom Californiaand AlaskatoMississippiandVirginia. Some of the defendants face additional drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. "This is a prosecution strategy," Merriweather said. A federal criminal indictment was filed on February 22, 2018, and was unsealed late yesterday in federal court following arrests conducted during an early morning round-up. His connectiongavehimacode to open a hidden safe full of drugsinside the vehicle, Williamssaid. It wasnt always cash we got, she said. She wasdriving around with adrunk, passed outRoger Dale in the red Mustang thatsomeone had tradedthem for$2,000 and some dope. Overbey and Walker posted bond and are out of jail. 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. 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. Brown is being held under a $150,000 bond and Gause is being held under a $450,000 bond. WebASHEVILLE, N.C. (Gray News) - Police in North Carolina said a tip helped lead them to their biggest drug bust in Buncombe Countys history. Watching neighborhood drug dealers rake in cash without helping their community, Platt says, made him want to make all the money so he could give back. ", The @CMPD email, which comes in response to our investigation, also reminds officers, instead of making arrests, they can seize drugs and divert people to a treatment center on the spot, something the agency is hoping to track. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. "Increase in population equals increase in demand. Learn more about child care in public policy, access advocacy resources, and get updates on opportunities to engage in the effort to change the child care landscape. You made choices, you decided to do what you decided to do and there are consequences, Platt said. 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. According to allegations contained in the criminal indictment and other filed court documents, from 2015 until the present, the defendants operated as a drug conspiracy responsible for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin in Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas. "I was in treatment for 10 months and came out on the other side," she said. Puckett Williams knows what it's like to sit in jail on drug charges, waiting for her day in court, while battling addiction. Money Rock: A Familys Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South, I have blood in this. A former drug dealer will try to help curb Charlotte violence, Officials hopeful a newly named program can help cut violent crime in Charlotte, Expelled UNC student says he was targeted by women who falsely accused him of assault, Deputy rapes woman at traffic stop and tells her she wont be charged, Tennessee cops say. He's remained a critic of criminal justice reform in Mecklenburg County, especially as violence has increased. In New York Magazine, he explains his turn toward dealing, saying, "When you grow up without finances, it starts to feel like finances are the answers to all of your problems," and drugs were the easiest solution. 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. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. Last Tuesday, Platt got a chance at redemption when city and Mecklenburg County officials named him the site supervisor for the new Alternatives to Violence program. "It is well known that commercial trucking is one of, if not the single most common way that money and drugs are traversed to and from the Southwest border," Rowan County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy David Ramsey said. He preached in Conway for eight years, before he said the Lord spoke to him again. Local, state and federal agents in this mountainous regionhave seized more than 200 kilograms of meth, dozens of guns and more than $1 million in cash and assets, said Chris Healy, special agent in charge of Homeland Security based in Charlotte. DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorneys Office will relentlessly pursue and ultimately prosecute criminals like Daniels, said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. 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. That place is for prostitutes, druggies, drug dealers, etc. "I don't think they expected this all to go down, because they have basically been operating for years and years. The arrest of Daniels, along with the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of drugs, dozens of guns, and more than a million Miles is facing federal drug charges for smuggling marijuana and cocaine from Texas. We use basketball to help them cross those barriers that they would not normally cross if they were just out there in the streets, Platt said. Agents say Charlotte's booming population is partly to blame. Bobbie Overbey is charged with possession of the drug. It sentin at leastfive trusted, high-levelcartel memberswhoset up North Carolina stash houses and front businesses in metro Charlotte, Hickory(a suburban town of about 40,000 an hour north of Charlotte)and nearby Johnson City, Tennessee,federal agents say. U.S. Attorney Murray also noted the invaluable assistance provided by the North Carolina National Guard Counterdrug Program. He committed violent assaults, did drugs, and even sold them. CMPD officers continue to have the discretion to arrest as they perform their duty.". The businesses include a barbershop, a towing company Nunnenkamp and Bennett joined forces after realizing they had the same CJNG connection, according to law enforcement. MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. As coronavirus pandemic-related court shutdowns continue to delay trials, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather is taking drastic action in an effort to prosecute more homicides and violent crimes. Don't get him wrong though, it's not like he's proud of what he did. 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. And he did.. 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. Conaway said there's now so much meth around here, crystal meth is almost just as affordable as high-grade marijuana. A Duplin man deemed to be a prolific drug dealer, growing an operation dating back to last century when he was just a teenager, was sentenced in federal court to 30 years following a jury trial that extended over three days. The couple had four-wheelers, mopeds, a pool table, a boat, vehicles, guns, lawnmowers and any tool you can imagine, Lisa Dawn said. The couplegot their meth from different places. View our latest report, The Year in Child Care: 2021 Data, Analysis and Recommendations, Fee Assistance and Respite Care for Military/DoD Families. They stop at nothing to achieve their goals. 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. Less than a decade old,MexicosCrtelJalisco NuevaGeneracin,better known as CJNG,hasfought its way to takeits place among the worlds largest drug networks, led by its ruthlessbutdisciplined leader, Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "ElMencho.". I want to educate them.. Intelligencefrom other narcotics cases in Ashe County landed Saldana onauthorities radar around 2008. The deal was so big that the cartel members in Local man, called prolific drug dealer, sentenced to 30 years. #Defenders pic.twitter.com/EkfeqwuF4L. 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. If you understand the drug business, theyre like cockroaches. Partnerships between local, state and federal agencies make our communities safer. We must do everything we can to combat these deadly drugs and the many crimes they bring with them," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney. For those caught with just enough drugs for themselves, prosecutors won't pursue cases unless guns are involved, there's a connection to violence or police have arrested the same person multiple times within a year for similar crimes. Officers say he was dealing mass quantities of cocaine out of his business X-Slave Fashions on Castle Street. Western North Carolina Once the cartel brings a huge load across and throws it out there for everyone to sell, its out of their hands. He tried beating them at their own game, and became one of the biggest drug dealers in Charlotte in the 1980s. ", RELATED: UNC-Chapel Hill suspends 3 fraternities following drug investigation, arrests. These people are in their 50's, some of them. 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