-from newsobserver.com-

By Jesse James Deconto

hahahaha, comments anyone?

CHAPEL HILL - A Chapel Hill man was accused last week of pedaling while he peddled.

Reginald E. Farrington, 40, of 703 N.C. 54 was charged with maintaining a late-model Next Avalon Comfort Bike for selling crack cocaine.

Police nabbed Farrington as he ran into some woods in the Northside neighborhood. He might have escaped on his seven-speed Comfort Bike, but the chain fell off with police in hot pursuit.

Police took custody of $3.25 in cash, along with Farrington’s two-wheeler, which police estimate to be worth about $20.

“It wasn’t in great shape,” said Officer D.N. Britt of the Chapel Hill police.

Police charged Farrington with obtaining property by false pretenses, resisting arrest and cocaine possession with intent to sell, even though they did not find drugs on his person. Britt said police were acting on a witness statement and declined to comment further, pending investigation.

The charge of maintaining a vehicle for drug sales is commonly applied when a suspect uses a motor vehicle to store or deal drugs. Law enforcement agencies often seize such vehicles and sell them to raise money for local schools, according to James Woodall, district attorney for Orange and Chatham counties.

Britt, who responded to the scene, said he had never charged anyone with maintaining a bicycle to sell drugs.

“That just doesn’t happen very often,” police spokeswoman Jane Cousins said.

-from cochranetimes.com-

By Angela Anderson

A routine traffic stop turned into one of the biggest drug busts of the year by RCMP early Sunday morning west of Cochrane. Sgt. Bill Eubank of Cochrane RCMP said the Ontario registered pickup truck was traveling east on Hwy. 40 when it was stopped during “a routine check.” While Eubank said the truck was traveling east, he said it is undetermined where exactly the destination was. When the truck was stopped, further investigation by RCMP canine unit revealed 129 lbs. or 58 kg. of marijuana was concealed inside. Two Ontario men; Kevin Slater, 33, and Gary Robert Paul, 54, both of Caledonia, Ont., have been charged under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act. They made their first appearance in Cochrane Provincial Court yesterday. While Eubank said it is not known for sure where exactly the drugs were intended for, he said they have a good idea. “When the vehicle is heading east in Alberta with Ontario plates, there’s nothing to dispute it was probably heading back to Ontario,” Eubank said. This incident was the second large-scale illegal substance seizure by Cochrane RCMP this year. Eubank confirmed it was around the same street value as the cocaine seizure in January of this year near Springbank. In that incident, RCMP were also responding to a routine traffic violation when the 10 kg. of cocaine was found in the vehicle. An Edmonton man was charged with possession and dangerous driving in that incident, and he was also coming from the west. Eubank said both these busts are significant for the RCMP. “Of course the transport of large amounts of drugs are organized crime, it certainly puts a dent in the profits of organized crime,” he said.

-from recordonline.com-

By Heather Yakin

Summitville - A Summitville woman is on her way to prison for possessing, among other things, rocks of near-pure cocaine the size of a fist.
Amber Tsoucalas, 21, and boyfriend John Gutierrez, 27, were arrested in March when police – much to the relief of the neighborhood – raided their home at 277 Mount Vernon Road.
Police seized more than a half-pound each of cocaine and marijuana, a loaded .40-caliber handgun and a few dozen Ecstasy pills.
The couple pleaded guilty in Sullivan County Court, cutting deals that would have gotten Gutierrez 10 years and Tsoucalas 3½ years in prison, but they blew the deal.
On July 18, Tsoucalas tried to pass Gutierrez a commissary package at the jail, but she had tucked marijuana, tobacco and non-prescription drugs under the tuna and peanut butter.
Both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor promoting prison contraband to go with their earlier pleas to felony drug and weapon possession.
On Aug. 4, Gutierrez got 13 years in prison. And on Aug. 23, Tsoucalas got six years in state prison.

-from 11alive.com-

By Kevin Rowson

Web Editor: Tracey Christensen

-from statejournal.com-

By Steve Mazure

The crop was discovered by a National Guard helicopter

The marijuana plants were spotted at the very end of Big Grave Creek road. Officers on the ground moved in and the plants are now drying out in the evidence room at State Police Headquarters in Marshall County. A man who lives near the find–Douglas James Martin–initially denied the plants were his. Police say Martin later took full responsibility for the marijuana. Martin said he was aware it was against the law–but he didn’t think he would get caught. Martin also allegedly told police he didn’t think he could be arrested and charged if he was growing the plants off his property.

Bond in the case is set at 7-thousand dollars. He faces seven counts–one for each plant.

-from kcra.com-

Value of Pot found so far reaches about $40 Million

ELK GROVE, Calif. — Agents seized more than 6,000 marijuana plants from seven Elk Grove-area homes Monday night, police said Tuesday.

Officials said these latest seizures being the total to 14 indoor marijuana growing operations and 10,000 marijuana plants found in homes in and around Elk Grove this month.”The seizure of this many indoor grows in such a short period of time and with this level of sophistication is unprecedented for the Elk Grove area,” said Gordon Taylor, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration office in Sacramento, in a prepared statement.

Taylor added that more busts may be made.

“This investigation is far from finished,” he said. “We still have quite a few stones to turn over.”Based upon the indoor gardens and the 10,000 plants seized so far, it is estimated the growing operations would have produced approximately 10,000 pounds of marijuana on an annual basis. The street value for 10,000 pounds of marijuana is about $40 million.More than 35 law enforcement officers from the Elk Grove Police Department and DEA served federal search warrants at the single-family Elk Grove residences.No one lived at any of the homes, but witnesses told police they observed Asian males previously entering the homes. Each of the indoor pot gardens were similar in construction and operation, police said.Investigators added that each house was completely void of furniture and virtually every room was used for growing pot. They found sophisticated lighting, water irrigation, ventilation and air filtration systems set up in each house. The electricity to each home was rewired to bypass the electrical meter, saving the growers thousands of dollars in electrical bills each month, but creating a significant fire hazard.No arrests were made Monday night. But five Bay Area defendants were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Sacramento last week on federal marijuana charges in connection with this continuing investigation.Police said they discovered gardens at the following Elk Grove residences during the latest search:

• 8700 Santa Ridge Circle
• 8693 Nemea Way
• 9502 Mainline Drive
• 10244 Shoech Way
• 9709 Summer Glen Way
• 9226 Bearint Way
• 5513 Laguna Park Drive

-from lufkindailynews.com-

By Jessica Savage

Materials found in pickup parked at Lufkin Pharmacy

Lufkin police arrested a man and woman Tuesday afternoon after finding a suspected mobile methamphetamine lab in front of a local drug store.

Police detained Kristie V. Alsbrooks, 26, of Lufkin and Corey Mullan, 20, outside CVS Pharmacy, at the corner of Timberland Drive and Lufkin Avenue, later booking them on charges of possession of chemicals with intent to manufacture.

Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News (ENLARGE)

A Lufkin narcotics officer wearing full hazmat gear removes a backpack from the bed of a Dodge Ram pickup in the parking lot of CVS Pharmacy on Tuesday evening.

Police, responding to a report of suspicious activity outside the store, sealed off the front parking lot of CVS around 5 p.m. The Lufkin Fire Department’s hazardous materials team arrived to empty a silver 1500 Dodge Ram pickup parked in front of the store.

A store supervisor said she saw Alsbrooks inside the store for about 20 minutes before police arrived. The supervisor and a store manager, who both asked not to be identified, said they believe Alsbrooks was attempting to purchase over-the-counter cold medicine tablets, which contain pseudoephedrine — one of the main ingredients used to manufacture meth.

Police kept members of the press and the public at bay while the hazmat team, dressed in air-tight white suits, gingerly pulled out plastic bottles, book bags and an assortment of containers from the pickup.

Three firemen stood a few yards away from vehicle, gripping a firehose as the hazmat team dissembled the contents of the truck.

Other firemen on the scene hosed down Alsbrooks and Mullan, who stood behind large tarps out of the public’s view.

It was done as an act of precaution, a police officer said, just in case any volatile chemicals had penetrated the clothing of the pair.

Despite the activity out front, customers continued to purchase items at CVS, entering and exiting from a back, stock door.

Walgreens, CVS’ rival across the street, caught some of the lost business as its parking lot became filled with shoppers and gawkers.

In an effort to limit the sale of over-the-counter cold medicine tablets with pseudoephedrine as its main ingredient, a Texas law, enacted two years ago, requires pharmacies to keep a detailed log of who purchases the medicines.

-from news.scotsman.com-

By Craig Brown

A NOTORIOUS gangster linked to a drug-smuggling woman lawyer was killed in broad daylight when he was mown down by a car then assaulted.

George Docherty was hit by a car in the Tollcross area of Glasgow before the occupants of the vehicle jumped out and attacked him.

The 46-year-old, known as “Goofy”, died at the scene at around 11:30am on Monday. Police said the suspects escaped and the burnt-out car was found later in Easterhouse in the city.

The victim was alleged to have been at the centre of a case which saw Glasgow lawyer Angela Baillie jailed for smuggling drugs into Barlinnie Prison. Docherty is also reported to have recently survived two other assassination attempts.

Docherty was sent to prison for seven years in 1996 for a machete attack during a drugs war in Paisley. He was again jailed in 2001 - while out on licence - after being caught with a handgun. In Barlinnie jail, he headed a drugs ring and reportedly received supplies from Baillie.

Detective Chief Inspector John Riggans said: “George was walking when a car was driven at him, knocking him to the ground. A number of men got out of the car and carried out a brutal assault.”