My daughter went to school with her. Up until that point, most people in Washington County viewed addiction as a criminal justice issue. Some NTF agents are even deputized by the DEA as Federal Task Force Officers (TFO's). Summer Camp registration opens Apri, Congratulations to Boot Barn for celebrating a rib, On behalf of the National Park Service, the Washin, Check out the special events Washington County Rec, In observance of Presidents' Day, Washington Count, Americans with Disabilities Act Information. The task force said Oliver was previously arrested by Hagerstown Police Department officers last Wednesday for fleeing on foot from a car accident in the south end of Hagerstown. In 2009, an old theater was transformed into BISFA, a magnet arts high school. Their daughter, who grew up playing soccer and basketball, became hooked on pills by 18 and then turned to heroin. s the former managing editor of Hagerstowns daily newspaper,The Herald-Mail, Dave Elliott witnessed firsthand the citys downward spiral. 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. On February 19, city health officials reported the number of heroin overdoses to which EMS crews and city police responded to. Now, however, nearly all of the rails leading into downtown have been removed. Some of them were done outside, some were done in the apartments, numerous kids were in the area playing, numerous people out and about, said Sgt. While the most pressing question confronting Hagerstownand other resource-deprived towns in Maryland such as Frostburg, Cumberland, Cambridge, Snow Hill, Elkton, and Edgewoodmay be how to get immediate help to those struggling with addiction, the broader question is more vexing: How does an isolated, blue-collar town recover from the worst drug epidemic in U.S. historyon top of45 years of deindustrialization? A sitting train and truck behind a lot along West Franklin Street. Meanwhile, health care, housing, and education costs have skyrocketed over the ensuing decades, but wages, adjusted for inflation, have remained essentially flat in Hagerstown, growing just 5 percent in total over that 25-year span. Hagerstown is still a meat and potatoes kind of place, says Elliott. 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. People began to say, Oh, if it can happen to that family, it can happen to my family, Sterling says. nyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing, Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? "They represent lives saved from overdose deaths and the continuing nightmare of drug addiction and the never-ending spinoffs of associated crimes from robberies, retail thefts, shootings and others that tear at the very fabric of our great and prosperous community," he said. Its not as conscious a decision as that. "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. 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. Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. The opioid trade has become so lucrative here that dealers from Baltimore and even New York travel to Hagerstown, and often farther into West Virginia, because they can earn up to $40 more a gram for heroin and a similarly higher profit margin for fake pills, like the counterfeit, fentanyl-laced Vicodin that killed Prince. A methadone clinic was not a part of that vision. Scrubbing Baltimores Marble Steps Was My Very First Job, How Actress Rachel Hilsons Baltimore Roots Influence Her Work Today, The Mount Vernon Virtuosi is Much More Than a Chamber Orchestra, Deer Park, MD Was Once an Elite VacationlandThanks in Part to its Famous Water, Artist James Evans Uses Photographs and Words to Combat Prejudice in Nature, Baltimore School for the Arts Debuts a Student-Run Newspaper. Brooke died while waiting for insurance approval for a $700 monthly shot of Vivitrol, which reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. Hagerstown, MD 2 days ago. While he fled, Grant fell and injured himself, Kerns said. As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Instead, he sought help by way of Suboxone (the commercial name for a combination of buprenorphineand naloxone), which he considers a miracle. We get to engage and feel like were being a positive influence on the city.. Julie E. Greene is a reporter for The Herald-Mail. 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. 6:15 AM. Washington County > Washington County Maryland Narcotics Task Force. But the sad fact is that in 2018, Phoenix Health Center drawsmore people downtown than anything else on a Saturday. HAGERSTOWN, Md. A huge component of this initiative includes a $40-million effort, started in 2017, which will expand three key institutionsthe University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, the Maryland Theatre, and Barbara Ingram School for the Artswith a slated completion date of spring of 2020. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. If effective, they will be a start in rebuilding Hagerstowns economy and, ultimately, its quality of life. Its these fast-rolling interstates that carry the deadly opioids, including heroin and fetanyl, flooding Marylands western counties. He was released after posting his $5,000 bond. Michael Romito, three counts of distribution of heroin. 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. 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. Home to one-fourth of the countys population, Hagerstown accounts for the majority of those seeking treatment, as well as the majority of overdose fatalities, which included 21 city residents in the first four-and-a-half months of this yeara pace that would, if it continues, triple last years total. Agents say anyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing drugtip@washco-md.net, orvisiting their website at wcntf.net. Spain is being held at the Caroline County Detention Center without bond. 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, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines in Caroline and Dorchester counties and parts of Delaware. orking with Philadelphia-based Urban Partners, the city has put together a 10-year City Center Plan, which began in 2014, to enhance the towns quality of life and attract new developers, investors, and businesses. Robison. Its not the white picket fence. Police allege Anthony Latimer, 41, Hagerstown, was dealing drugs from his car when Alpha Platoon patrol officers approached the car in the 300 block of North Jonathan Street at 5:30 a.m. Latimer stepped . 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,. This isnt political. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. 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. Grant was charged with five counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana and two counts of distributing narcotics, according to online court records. A locked padlock Two drug busts were done on Wednesday after a three month investigation discovered a drug trafficking organization in the area. The below persons are wanted or need to be identified by WCNTF at this time for drug violations or involved in a drug investigation. icki Sterling, director of the Washington County Health Departments Division of Behavorial Health Services, says the turning point for the county in addressing the opioid epidemic was the death of former Hagerstown police sergeant Kevin Simmers daughter, Brooke, who overdosed on heroin 10 days after she had been released from a four-month prison stay. Investigators have seized 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin and 12 ounces of cocaine base. 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. 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 . Lewis Chamberlain, two counts of distribution of heroin. Its hope or heroin out here.. At that time, police apprehended Beckette, who was inside the duplex, Kerns said. / CBS Baltimore. Through the investigation and the evidence, officers were able to obtain 11 search warrants. "That is a snapshot, one day in the time of this case so that tells you that over the whole year of the investigation the breadth of this conspiracy and this illegal enterprise," Bernard said. Local Hagerstown, MD. (ABC7) The news from Hagerstown wasn't good. Grant also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of needles related to drugs; possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and escape in the second degree, according to Kerns and online court records. TheCaroline County Drug Task Force is a multi-agencydrug task force, based inRidgely, Maryland; which functions under the direction and control of thedrug task forceadvisoryboard. Kevin and Dana Simmers at the future site of Brooke's House. All Rights Reserved. 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 Possession/Use Opium (Heroin) CDS Sale/Manufacturing Cocaine, CDS Possession/Use- Cocaine CDS Possession/Use of Synthetic Narcotics (Fentanyl) CDS With Intent to Distribute Narcotics, CDS Possession- Not Cannabis CDS Possession/Use, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of recent arrests). July 28, 2021 / 2:11 PM 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. Hagerstown, MD 4 days ago. All it takes is a little fentanylor a microgram of carfentanyl, which is 100 times more potent. They dont stand a chance., The societal ripple effect of the opioid epidemic cant be overstated, says Piercy, who doesnt have to look any farther than outside his downtown Potomac Street office window to witness people nodding and passing out. Ten years ago, the Hagerstown native started having seizures once or twice a week that left his muscles tense, his bones aching, and his head feeling like it might explode. 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. Photography by Benjamin C. Tankersley | July 2018. the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. Over a period of about three years, he went from prescription Vicodin to shooting up heroin. , 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. A mortality rate increase for any first-world demographic group had been virtually unheard of for decades, with the exception of Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a phenomenon blamed on soaring alcoholism rates. Jackie Devon Thompson, 41, of Frederick, Md. I was on the other side, and I get it, and people have every right to make that point.. She talks enthusiasticallyand genuinelyabout the $40-million downtown revitalization effort and Hagerstowns future. Before long, he was buying heroin because it was cheaper than pills, and he went from snorting to injecting it, simply to maintain the same highand eventually just to function, if you could call it that. Hagerstown built automobiles, bottled Coca-Cola, made shoes, clothing, furniture, and Breyers ice cream, and was the worlds largest manufacturer of pipe organs. Torri Deann Richardson, 37, and Roger Dean Saylor III, 30, were. While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. Beckette and Anderson were being held at the detention center Wednesday, each in lieu of a $50,000 bond. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Hagerstown, Md. The crisis, he says, is driving a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, a bellwether for other social problems. 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. Frederick, which seems worlds away rather than a mere 20 minutes, has benefitted from its MARC train station, which has grown the town into a bedroom community of D.C. Its also close enough to Baltimore that people make the I-70 commute. Holland is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center without bond. Contact WCNTF if you have information on these persons (301) 791-3205, (Use the blue dots to scroll the list of wanted persons). This pooling of investigative resources benefits each investigative unit with increased manpower, less duplication of effort, and by coordinating the targeting of drug offenders. 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. "The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive.". Beckette was charged with three counts each of intent to distribute narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. Two more telltale signs of Hagerstowns plight are present here as well: The countys storefront offices sit in an all-but-abandoned shopping center, and nearby is a Superfund site, less than a mile from three public schools, and still in need of remediation two decades after it was added to the EPAs National Priorities List. Most arent even here to get clean but to get by. We have more kids living with their grandparents and a greater need for foster parents. The person arrested on the outstanding warrant was Violet Benjamin, 53, of Hagerstown. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Wares residence. 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. Its like watching a slow train crash coming that you dont know how to stop.. A handful, with newer haircuts and cars, might be professionalssomewhere in this politically conservative county. Six people in Hagerstown, Maryland, conspired to distribute enough fentanyl to kill 1 million people, or 25 times the population of Hagerstown, federal prosecutors say. HAGERSTOWN (WJZ) -- Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Opioids may be the deadliest catastrophe to hit Hagerstown, but the current crisis follows a long string of blows to a city that never made the transition from a mechanical to a hi-tech economy. Six years ago, at an I-81 coalition meeting of stakeholders, Western Maryland state police commander Lt. Mike Fluharty coined the phrase Heroin Highway to describe Hagerstowns I-81/I-70 nexus. Spain is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. The office is currently staffed by personnel to include officers from the Hagerstown City Police Department, Deputies from the Washington County Sheriffs Department, an Intel Analyst, a Gang Analyst, two prosecutors from the State Attorneys Office, and two support staff. One of the biggest mistakes city officials made was failing to sufficiantly upgrade Municipal Stadium, the nearly 90-year-old home of the minor league Hagerstown Suns, or build a new ballpark downtown. A Hagerstown. Anderson was charged with distribution of narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. 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. Cameron Tibbs, one counts of distribution of heroin. The Frederick Police Department is seeking assistance locating a 17-year-old male, who has been missing since June. 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. The huge A&W Johnston clock, first built in 1836 and later refurbished, still stands four stories above the town square in a period brick building. After being arrested on July 1, police said Oliver assaulted an officer and was found with a controlled dangerous substance. There were things going on, but no cohesiveness at the top.. 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. Ive been a right-wing Republican all my life, Simmers says. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Joan Mathias, who are prosecuting the case. William Miller, one count of distribution of heroin. Dealers now have their own pill presses, explains Drug Enforcement Administration agent Robert Grob at a recent Drug Take Back Day, a collaboration between the Hagerstown Police Department, county health department, and the DEA that encourages local residents to turn in leftover medication for safe disposal.