And through the first nine months of2016, theyseized more than 10 times last year's total. Officers also seized four illegal firearms, police said. The officers repeatedly circled around the house, she said. The federal indictment alleges that each of the nine defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Howell, Greene, and Texas counties from Dec. 31, 2015, to June 21, 2019. 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. 2023 www.news-leader.com. Owned and operated by Lakeview Health, Home Substance Abuse Statistics by State Missouri. A lock ( Cartel connection: tracing meth from Missouri to Northeast - WBAY The latest figure for people who went to rehab for methamphetamine is not available, but all reports indicate that the number is increasing rapidly. - Just when you think police have the methamphetamine problem under control, it rears its ugly head. Additionally, Farisse and Everett also are charged together in one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, the use of which caused the death of another person (who is not identified in court documents), and one count of distributing fentanyl on or about Oct. 17, 2019, which caused the death of this person. Most people in the conspiracy had no interactionswith anybody outside a few other members of the meth ring. An official website of the United States government. The Greene County Medical Examiner's Office says there have been 56 confirmed drug overdose deaths in the county this year and several more cases are still pending complete results. 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 Springfield woman at'ground zero' of drug ring gets 22 months in prison, Ozarks women indicted for meth feds say they found (some in underwear), 4 men tried to sneak meth into Christian County Jail and it almost worked, Prosecutors ask for life sentence for 'career offender' in Springfield meth ring, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. With 189 in Greene County, that was second only to Jefferson County near St. Louis. Springfield police say they have recovered only seven meth labs in the city this year, compared to 108 in 2011. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. A decade later, that many people died in Greene County just in the first two months of 2020. Greene County traffic stop leads MSHP to 110 pounds of marijuana - KY3 Springfield police say investigating the people who import and sell drugs in the city is a priority and it's something Reece said they are getting better at. Pickens struggled with addiction for about 16 years, but never bothered to find out where his drugs were coming from. Harmon's blue BMW sedan had just crossed into Springfield city limits, past the Macedonia Baptist Church on West Sunshine Street, when officers pulled her over. The trooper found 88 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 at mile marker 79, about 50 miles west of Columbia. DEA busted one of Southwest Missouri's largest meth rings. Here's how. Authorities charge 25 in Springfield drug bust Tuesday, July 12, 2005 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Sgt. 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. Hodges allegedly possessed a Kel-Tec .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol on June 4, 2019. Wed see explosions, burns, other traumatic injuries. 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. 400 East 9th Street There were 730 drug deaths related to drug use compared with 1,054 deaths from motor vehicle accidents and 759 deaths from firearm incidents in the same year. We invite you to share your journey of recovery and be featured on Recovery Connection! A locked padlock Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Contact Us Today to Learn More About Our Recovery Resources! Additionally, Rory Dale Bechtel, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. Missouri Drug Abuse Statistics | Recovery Connection Saving Your Career and Life While in Rehab. 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. So far this year, investigators with the SPDs Special Investigations Section have taken almost five pounds of heroin off the streets of Springfield. Lock Though he doesnt know for sure, Jones hears that meth in the Ozarks could now be coming from south of the border. SALINE COUNTY, Mo. . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Marlin Martin is theregional director for Behavioral Health Group,a local provider of opioid addiction treatment. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Ortega to forfeit to the government $10,924 that was seized by law enforcement officers; Hicks to forfeit to the government $20,393 that was seized by law enforcement officers; and Griffin to forfeit $16,078 that was seized by law enforcement officers. But data from local law enforcement shows meth lab busts have become nearly non-existent. One cousin remembered him as the man whodanced with all the ladies at a quinceaera. 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. var gform;gform||(document.addEventListener("gform_main_scripts_loaded",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?o():!gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",o):document.addEventListener("gform_main_scripts_loaded",o)},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook("action",o,n,r,t)},addFilter:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook("filter",o,n,r,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook("action",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook("filter",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,n){gform.removeHook("action",o,n)},removeFilter:function(o,n,r){gform.removeHook("filter",o,n,r)},addHook:function(o,n,r,t,i){null==gform.hooks[o][n]&&(gform.hooks[o][n]=[]);var e=gform.hooks[o][n];null==i&&(i=n+"_"+e.length),gform.hooks[o][n].push({tag:i,callable:r,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(n,o,r){var t;if(r=Array.prototype.slice.call(r,1),null!=gform.hooks[n][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[n][o]).sort(function(o,n){return o.priority-n.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){"function"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),"action"==n?t.apply(null,r):r[0]=t.apply(null,r)})),"filter"==n)return r[0]},removeHook:function(o,n,t,i){var r;null!=gform.hooks[o][n]&&(r=(r=gform.hooks[o][n]).filter(function(o,n,r){return!! If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. MSHP says the drug bust happened around 9 a.m. on Interstate 44 near mile marker 82. Its awful, Romine said. This case is part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program. Tapia was also delivering 10 pounds of meth worth tens of thousands of dollars every two weeks to one of the biggest meth rings ever to plague southwest Missouri. The Springfield Police Department is committed to continuing to fight to reduce the number of heroin and opioid deaths. It's unclear how or why federal prosecutors settled on the 29 co-conspirators. Wheeler allegedly possessed a Sig Sauer .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, an Izhmash .308-caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Nov. 14, 2019. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. A superseding indictment in April 2015 raised the number to 19, then 10 more were tacked on in a second superseding indictment three months later. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. (WWLP) - Springfield Police have arrested two men and seized heroin, two rifles and more than $16,000 in cash Wednesday evening . Missouri had the most meth lab busts in the country that year. "We get the occasional hit on those," Reece said. 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 . They wrote letters to the federal judge handling the Lee's Summit man's sentencing. Flesch said she would wave to "tattoo lady," but she never waved back. Tapia was also delivering 10 pounds of meth worth tens of thousands of dollars every two weeks to one of the biggest meth rings ever to plaguesouthwest Missouri. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Updated: Apr 15, 2021 / 07:37 PM EDT. "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. Fax Line:(816) 426-4210. Reece said heroin cases are a priority for his detectives in the special investigations sectionbecause the drug has reportedly been responsible for at least 21deaths in Greene County over the last two years. April 5, 2021: A trooper stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on I-70 (EB) at the 79 mile marker in Saline County. To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Other homes were raided over the next few days. I guess the cops were watching them, too, but I didnt know that, Flesch said. Before you go to work, before you make breakfast for your family, before anything.. On Thanksgiving 2014, Flesch fixed dinner, put on a jacket and sat out front. In 2015, Springfield police seized more heroin than in the previous three years combined. A locked padlock Two men from California face drug trafficking charges in that investigation. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The News-Leader has been covering this meth ring for years, reviewing hundreds of pages of court documents and attending hearings of those involved. All sorts of cars were pulling up to the house late at night and leaving shortly after, Flesch said. The national opioid crisis has not missed Springfield. The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants, with the exception of Sparks, participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 21, 2020. 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. One of the biggest year-to-year spikes in the data was the amount of cocaine seized by investigators in 2016. How Can a Florida Heroin Rehab Center Help Me? The trooper found 88 pounds of. Press Releases | DEA.gov (KY3) - Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers seized 110 pounds of marijuana Saturday morning from a traffic stop in Greene County. Rodriguez 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. The PCP rate of admissions was slightly higher in Missouri than in other states. Data from the county coroner for the last few years suggests meth is more deadly than ever before. Officers with the Springfield Police Departments Special Investigations Unit made a large drug bust after serving a search warrant on August 6. methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug . Join Recovery Connection in sharing stories of hope and recovery. 27, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019. In 2010, Missouri became one more state in the nation to implement the prescription data base. Flesch specifically recalled a man who rode in on a motorcycle and sported a blue or purple mohawk. Meth ringthat plagued the Ozarks could cost taxpayers $11 million in prison. The trooper searched the vehicle, then found 88 pounds of methamphetamine, $5,505 in cash, and a weapon. Gonzalez also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County. An official website of the United States government. Martin is also charged with two counts related to distributing fentanyl. In 2010, 10,600 people entered alcohol addiction treatment in Missouri for alcohol as a primary substance of abuse with an additional 8,605 people who entered alcohol addiction treatment with alcohol combined with a secondary drug of abuse. -- Twenty-five people were charged Monday with taking part in a drug ring that allegedly trafficked more than . That indictment was unsealed and made public following their arrests. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported that it had seenan exponential increase over the last fewyears in the seizures of marijuana-infused food products known as edibles. While a big chunk of the 2016 spike can be attributed to that Feb. 29 bust and another nearly half-pound seizure, Reece said there's certainlymore heroin on the streets of Springfield today than there was five years ago. In 2004, data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows meth back then most likely came from an at-home lab. Hodges is also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school. 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. 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. 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