โOperation Candy Manโ: Police plan to bust nurses selling pills in Oakland, Wayne, Genesee counties
Michigan State Police are executing โOperation Candy Manโ on Wednesday -- a plan to raid locations in Oakland, Wayne, and Genesee counties and stop nurses who are illegally selling thousands of opioids.
โOperation Candy Manโ: Police plan to bust nurses selling pills in Oakland, Wayne, Genesee counties
Michigan State Police are executing โOperation Candy Manโ on Wednesday -- a plan to raid locations in Oakland, Wayne, and Genesee counties and stop nurses who are illegally selling thousands of opioids.
Guns, cash, meth, heroin found when Michigan officials raid 3 hotel rooms, storage facility
Michigan officials found guns, cash, methamphetamine and heroin when they executed four connected search warrants this week -- three at hotel rooms and one at a nearby storage facility, according to authorities.
Sterling Heights police find 20,000 fentanyl pills from Mexican drug cartel in hidden car compartments
Sterling Heights police found 20,000 fentanyl pills inside the hidden compartments of a vehicle and arrested a man and a woman who admitted they had entered the country illegally from Mexico to transport the drugs for a cartel, officials said.
How a father and son used drug addiction, violence, sex dates to run a Detroit prostitution house
A father and son have been sentenced for using crack cocaine, heroin and threats of violence to force women with addictions to go on sex dates as part of the duoโs drug and prostitution house in Detroit.
How agents busted drug operation linked to car hauler, homes in Sterling Heights, Detroit, Harper Woods
Officials busted a drug operation linked to homes in Sterling Heights, Detroit and Harper Woods after searching hidden compartments of vehicles that were loaded onto a car hauler in the parking lot of a Metro Detroit mall.
Feds: Former Michigan man led $100M cocaine org. planning to use underwater drone to send drugs to Europe
Federal officials arrested a former Michigan resident who they say was the leader of a massive, $100 million international cocaine trafficking organization that planned to use an underwater drone to ship drugs to Europe.
How Dawn Farm in Michigan helps people battle addiction
At age 21 he started abusing alcohol which eventually led to other substances fueling his addiction. โThe selfish nature of the disease of addiction, it convinces you that itโs your problem and you can fix it,โ he said. I may as well say yes.โLaFave said yes to Dawn Farm in Ypsilanti. โDawn Farm is a non profit based in Washtenaw County that provides treatment and recovery support services for people with substance abuse disorders and addiction,โ said Anna Byberg, Dawn Farm clinical director. There is help available.โDawn Farm residents, or โfarmersโ as theyโre called, are drug tested twice a week and hold each other accountable as well.
Man, woman from Pontiac arrested in car containing drugs, cash, officials say
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. โ A man and a woman from Pontiac were arrested overnight after a deputy found them inside a car containing drugs and cash, officials said. A 19-year-old Pontiac woman sitting in the front passenger seat admitted to having a large amount of suspected narcotics in her clothing, according to the deputy. She turned the suspected narcotics over and was taken into custody without incident, authorities said. AdA K-9 unit arrived and conducted a search, alerting deputies to the center console and front seat areas of the vehicle, according to officials. Deputies said they found narcotic paraphernalia, a smaller sum of cash and suspected narcotics in the center console.
Man using submarine to smuggle drugs across Detroit River sentenced
DETROIT โ Glen Richard Mousseau was sentenced Wednesday to 71 months imprisonment after having plead guilty to using a submarine business to smuggle drugs between the United States and Canada. Original Story: Man using submarine to smuggle drugs across Detroit River found tied to floating bags of marijuanaMousseau, 49, is from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. After trying to stop the vessel, agents said they saw two large bundles being thrown into the water. While approaching the bundles, agents said they saw an unconscious man in the water. More Information: Man using submarine to smuggle drugs across Detroit River found tied to floating bags of marijuana
City of Plymouth: Unused drug collection service resumes today
FILE - This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)PLYMOUTH, Mich. โ The city of Plymouth is notifying residents that its drug collection service will resume Monday, March 1. The service is intended to reduce the amount of unneeded medicine in residentsโ homes, decrease prescription drug abuse, and keep drugs out of waterways. The city of Plymouthโs Drug Collection Unit site is open to the public, on the main floor of City Hall, Monday through Friday only between 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions regarding this program contact the Plymouth Police Department at 734-453-1234 ext.
McLaren to pay $7.7M to resolve alleged drug violations
Opioid drug overdose deaths are down in US, study finds, but COVID-19 could change that. DETROIT โ McLaren Health Care Corp. has agreed to pay the federal government more than $7.7 million to resolve alleged violations of provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. McLaren said a pharmacist at its Port Huron retail pharmacy was โdiverting opioids for his own personal useโ and has since been fired. McLaren said it exited the retail pharmacy business in 2018, adding that the move was unrelated to the federal investigation. The health system has more than a dozen hospitals across Michigan.
Washtenaw County prosecutor no longer pursuing charges in marijuana, entheogenic plant cases
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. โ It was recently announced that Washtenaw County will no longer pursue charges related to marijuana and entheogenic plants. Read: Washtenaw County Prosecutor: No more charges in cannabis, psychedelic plant casesThis means indictments such as possession and distribution related to marijuana or shrooms will all be off the table from a legal standpoint. They can focus on the people who are doing real crime in the community, then itโs definitely worth it,โ said a Washtenaw County woman who also chose not to be identified. We should no longer continue to perpetuate the cruel roulette wheel that imposes criminal consequences only on an unlucky few,โ said Savit. Criminal charges can still be filed against large-scale operations that are distributing controlled substances if the health of the public is at risk.
Warren police bust drug ring selling cocaine laced with fentanyl
They believe the three taken into custody are the leaders of a ring selling cocaine laced with fentanyl that has killed three people in Warren. Jermaine Tate, 38, has been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl. Nathaniel Clark, 32, as been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, three counts of delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl. Terry Jamal Gaskins, 34, has been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, three counts of delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl. Authorities said theyโve been distributing cocaine laced with fentanyl, cut down to make a larger profit.
3 arrested in connection with Warren fentanyl ring, more arrests likely
WARREN, Mich. โ An investigation into a large-scale group alleged to be manufacturing and distributing fentanyl across Metro Detroit culminated in the arrests of three people. (Stopping Narcotic Overdoses in Warren) began investigating in November after the death of a 47-year-old resident. Jermaine Tate, 38, has been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl. Nathaniel Clark, 32, as been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, three counts of delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl. Terry Jamal Gaskins, 34, has been charged with conducting criminal enterprise, three counts of delivery/manufacturing fentanyl and three counts of conspiracy to deliver/manufacture fentanyl.
Man charged with supplying drugs to 3 Rochester Hills teens who were found dead from overdosing
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. โ A Lake Orion man has been charged with supplying drugs to three Rochester Hills teenagers who were found dead from overdosing, officials said. Auburn Hills police officers were called at 4:36 p.m. July 29 to the Baymont Hotel at 1294 North Opdyke Road to check on the well-being of a girl, according to authorities. Officers found the 17-year-old Rochester Hills girl in a room with two brothers, ages 18 and 19, also from Rochester Hills. Lorenzo Kenneth Brabo, 20, of Lake Orion, was also found in the hotel room, officials said. Brabo was arraigned Monday (Nov. 9) at 52/3 District Court on three counts of felony delivery causing death.
The unexpected winner on election night? Drugs
While we may not know if President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election for a while longer, there was one clear โwinnerโ on election night, and that was recreational drugs. States across the country have been legalizing recreational marijuana every election cycle, and 2020 was no different. Residents in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational cannabis, and South Dakota also legalized medical marijuana, along with Mississippi. South Dakota became the first state to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the same election. For the first time in U.S. history, the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of hard drugs, as well as voted to legalize psychedelic mushrooms.
1,700% increase in drug seizures at Michigan ports of entry, CBP reports
DETROIT โ The U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases stats every year about the amount of illegal items they confiscate annually. This year, they are reporting a steep increase in items. CBP reported 9,059 pounds of marijuana, 211 pounds of cocaine, 15 pounds of fentanyl and two pounds of meth have been seized from people leaving or entering the United States at Michigan ports of entry. CBP reported a 1,736% increase in seized marijuana and 227% increase in weapons seized -- enough to supply a small army. Why the increase in illegal items crossing the border?
19 Detroit men face drug charges; feds reveal โclimate of fearโ created by gangโs violence, control
Feds have charged 19 Detroit men in connection with drug crimes, and in one indictment, they broke down how the โItโs Just Usโ gang initiated its members, operated stash houses, moved guns and drugs, and even gained control of restaurants and bars while creating a โclimate of fearโ on the east side.
Why you should participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
DETROIT โ Prescription medications can be dangerous and even deadly -- and theyโre probably just sitting in your medicine cabinet. The Drug Enforcement Administration laid out reasons for all of us to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24. According to the DEA, the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained through family or friends, often from their own medicine cabinet. In the past, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has been very successful. More information can be found on the official National Prescription Drug Take Back Day website here.
Over half ton of marijuana seized from trash hauler at Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron
DETROIT โ On Sunday, Oct. 18 at around 11:15 p.m., the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations Officers at the Blue Water Bridge encountered a driver operating a trash hauler. The driver declared he was transporting municipal trash destined for a landfill in New Boston, Michigan to CBP. During the exam of the hauler, officers uncovered over 1,000 pounds of marijuana concealed in trash bags in the rear of truck. โTraffickers will use any means to attempt to transport illegal narcotics across our borders,โ said Acting Port Director April Donaghy, who oversees operations at the Port Huron Area Port of Entry. In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP Field Operations seized more than 9,000 pounds of marijuana at ports of entry across the state.
FDA extends pregnancy warning for common pain relievers
WASHINGTON โ Pregnant women should avoid a group of common pain relievers including Advil and Aleve for the last four months of pregnancy, federal health officials said Thursday, expanding the warning from three months. They can lead to kidney problems in the fetus that can result in low levels of amniotic fluid that fills the womb. In one exception, the FDA said the new warning does not apply to low-dose aspirin when recommended by a doctor. Federal regulators said they decided to extend the warning after finding 35 cases of the amniotic fluid problem reported to the FDA and reviewing similar examples in published research. Use of the pain relievers reduced amniotic fluid in as little as two days, in some cases, the FDA said.
โPurple heroinโ linked to several overdose cases, 1 death in Michigan
DETROIT โ The Michigan Poison Center at the Wayne State University School of Medicine is issuing a warning about recent reports involving โpurple heroinโ in Michigan. The drug has been linked to several overdoses in the Upper Peninsula and one overdose-related death in Van Buren County. Samples of the drug were sent to the Michigan State Police Laboratory for testing. They do not know if โpurple heroinโ is colored before or after arriving in Michigan. The Michigan Poison Center is available by calling this number 800-222-1222.
Officials seize 21 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine at Ambassador Bridge
WINDSOR, Ontario โ Around 21 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine was seized by officials at the Ambassador Bridge on Sept. 22. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) made the discovery. They said the meth was found with a Brampton resident and is estimated to be worth about $2.7 million. During the examination, border services officers discovered a duffel bag filled with packages of suspected methamphetamine. Jaspreet Singh, 29, of Brampton, Ontario is charged with Importation of Scheduled I substance and Possession for the purpose of trafficking.
4 doctors, 2 nurse practitioners, 3 pharmacists among 19 indicted in Metro Detroit drug scheme
DETROIT โ Four doctors, two nurse practitioners and three pharmacists are among the 19 people who have been indicted in connection with an elaborate drug scheme that went on for years, officials said. The opioid epidemic is still very much a problem in Metro Detroit, with people addicted to and dying from pain pills, heroin and fentanyl. Oxycodone, Percocet and hydrocodone are powerful pain pills that were pedaled on the streets for cash. โThese people are greedy and they donโt care about the average citizen,โ said Steve Dolunt, the former assistant Detroit police chief. โAverage people, some people, have pain,โ Dolunt said.
New event recognizes exceptional young people in Detroit
The Youth Empowerment Awards celebrate young adults achieving successful goals, hoping to empower them and others in the community. Dr. Karla Mitchell, CEO of Class Agency, joined Tati Amare to talk about the program. Class Agency has been helping the young people of Wayne County for over 15 years. To help empower these young people in this situation, Class Agency, 313 Hope and the City Of Detroit Health Department started the Youth Empowerment Awards to recognize young people who are demonstrating exceptional work ethics and behaviors. Learn more about the Youth Empowerment Awards in the video above.
Hear from Oakland County neighbors who witnessed house explosion possibly caused by drug operation
COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. โ Police believe a drug operation inside an Oakland County home might be responsible for causing an explosion that rocked a neighborhood and threw two men from the house. The explosion happened around 12:30 a.m. Thursday at a home on Arbutus Street near the intersection of Newton and Commerce roads in Commerce Township, officials said. โWe didnโt know if our house was going to catch fire, and the ones next door.โA Commerce Township house that exploded on Sept. 24, 2020. Butane tanks removed from a Commerce Township house that exploded on Sept. 24, 2020, firefighters said. Both of the injured men are in their mid- to late 20s and are residents of Commerce Township, police said.
Drug operation inside Oakland County home might have caused explosion that threw 2 men from house
COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. โ Police believe a drug operation inside an Oakland County home might be responsible for causing an explosion that rocked a neighborhood and threw two men from the house. โIt was a large, huge explosion,โ Lempert said. A Commerce Township house that exploded on Sept. 24, 2020. Butane tanks removed from a Commerce Township house that exploded on Sept. 24, 2020, firefighters said. Both men are in their mid- to late 20s and are residents of Commerce Township, police said.
City Council votes to make psychedelic mushrooms legal in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ City Council members voted unanimously this week to decriminalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is a college town that prides itself in a more relaxed approach to drug enforcement. โThey are non-addictive chemicals,โ Ann Arbor City Council member Anne Bannister said. The Council voted 11-0, saying Ann Arbor police should stand down enforcing possession. In its resolution, the Ann Arbor City Council also asked the Washtenaw County Prosecutorโs Office to cease prosecution of those involved in entheogenic plant use.
Justice Department: 179 arrested in darknet opioid takedown
WASHINGTON โ Law enforcement officials arrested 179 people and seized more than $6.5 million in a worldwide crackdown on opioid trafficking on the darknet, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday. As part of the initiative, law enforcement officials seized over $6.5 million in cash and virtual currency, in addition to 500 kilograms of drugs, the Justice Department said. About 275 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and other opioids, had been seized in the U.S. The Justice Department said its investigation was ongoing and investigators were still working to identify other individuals behind darknet accounts. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said the takedown showed โthere will be no safe haven for drug dealing in cyberspace.โMore: National news
Michigan woman acting erratic in parking lot arrested for possession of meth, MSP says
ONEKAMA, Mich. A Michigan woman who was seen making erratic movements in the parking lot of a business was arrested for possessing methamphetamine, according to state police. Amanda Lee Miehlke, 37, of Copemish, was seen around 5 p.m. July 3 acting unusually and making erratic movements in the parking lot of an Onekama business, officials said. MSP troopers followed her and noticed the car making dangerous movements on the road, according to officials. Miehlke was pulled over and gave police permission to search her car, MSP said. The substance was sent to the MSP Crime Lab and tested positive for meth, authorities said.