Tuesday, September 24, 2013

LARGE Cocaine Problem On The Eastern Shore

I ran across this article and found it quite informative for those of us that do live in the small towns on the Eastern Shore.  After  a "home invasion" in a quiet area of Accomack County  a few weeks ago I am constantly on the look-out for any info that can clearify WHY this happened and WHAT teenage boys could own that would be worth breaking into a home for. 

I know what others are saying  but if cocaine/drug sales are so prevelent on the shore then my neighborhood is not too good that it wouldn't be infected. 

This article was written a few months ago but I found it very interesting and it lets us know what has happened to some of the "pushers" who have infested our shore areas.

By: Scott Daugherty
March 11, 2013

Eastern Shore proves cocaine isn't just an urban issue


Scenic farming communities. Idyllic waterfront homes. Friendly roadside grills.

The Eastern Shore is known for them all. But it's not all bucolic on this sleepy peninsula just north of Hampton Roads.

There's a cocaine problem - a big one.

Nine men have pleaded guilty in federal court in the past three years to dealing at least 5 kilograms in Northampton and Accomack counties. One kilogram - which is about 2.2 pounds - is worth more than $26,000 and can be cut and sold to hundreds of users.

Some of the Eastern Shore dealers handled more than 14 kilos in a single year, according to court documents.

"People have a misconception," said Terrance Sullivan, the assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's regional office, which oversees the Eastern Shore. "They think you have to go to New York City to see quantities like this. You don't."

On average, police in the two counties, which are home to about 45,000 people, investigate about as many drug offenses per capita as Norfolk and only slightly fewer than Virginia Beach, according to state police statistics.

Several law enforcement and substance abuse experts said dealers choose to set up shop in rural communities like the Eastern Shore because of simple economics. As long as there are people interested in using drugs, there will be people who are interested in selling drugs. And in rural areas, there is likely less competition.

"The problems of substance abuse and addiction know no geographic bounds," said Susan Foster, vice president and director of policy research at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Plus, Sullivan said, some dealers might view rural areas as a safer place to work.

"It's that there is not a lot of law enforcement, or it is at least perceived that way," he said.

Cocaine is not a new problem on the Eastern Shore. Twenty years ago, there were a half-dozen spots in Northampton County where dealers would set up shop in the open, Sheriff David L. Doughty Jr. said.

Doughty recalled his days on patrol in the 1990s - when he would spend his time chasing dealers off corners. Back then, dealers would loiter outside gas stations and peddle drugs through car windows.

"We'd pull up, and it wouldn't be uncommon to see people start running," Doughty said.

Over time, police cracked down, and the dealers got smarter. They moved behind closed doors and started working by referral.

"Things have evolved into a totally different market," Doughty said. Smarter dealers require smarter police work. Enter the Eastern Shore Drug Task Force.

Founded in 1989, the task force is made up of police officers from the Virginia State Police, Accomack County Sheriff's Office and Northampton County Sheriff's Office. In the past few years, agents with the FBI and DEA also have assisted with investigations.

"They've been a huge help to us. They've made a big difference," Doughty said.

He said his deputies - two are currently assigned to the task force - are capable of conducting their own drug investigations. But they often require resources only the FBI and DEA can provide. And they can always use extra manpower.

"When you work investigations on individuals like these, it takes time to uncover all their associates and habits," Doughty said.

The task force's coordinator said the federal agents are vital when it comes to conducting surveillance in a rural area.

"It's pretty difficult to get police officers undercover here," Special Agent C.S. Wade of the Virginia State Police said. "Everybody knows everybody."

The task force has been on a roll the past three years, with federal prosecutors securing nine convictions.
The first of the drug rings that the task force took down - and one of the largest - involved Harry Byrd West and his right-hand man, Terrance Price.

According to court documents, the men would travel to Florida, North Carolina and Delaware to buy cocaine and marijuana. They would return to the Eastern Shore, break it down into smaller quantities and deliver it to midlevel dealers and users.

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