Carnival Ride Operator Busted For Selling Drugs

A 40-year-old carnival ride operator at this past weekend’s Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield was arrested for selling drugs while operating the ride.

Crisfield Police say Eric Kovach was working at the 64^th annual event for Sherwood Amusement Rides.

Undercover officers were sent to the Derby and one of them was able to purchase oxycodone from Kovach. Police say when they arrested Kovach he appeared to be under the influence of drugs himself.

He was taken to the Somerset County Detention Center and was later released after posting $25,000 bail.

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CRISFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS RELEASE

On 9/4/2011 at approximately 7:27 pm,  the Crisfield Police Department received certain information that an individual working for Sherwood Amusement Rides was selling drugs while operating one of the rides at the Crab Derby on Marina grounds. The Crisfield Police Department sent two CPD undercover officers into the grounds and observed the individual dealing prescription oxycodone. One of the undercover officers approached the suspect and bought oxycodone from him, the undercover  left the area. A decision was made to contact the management of the Amusement rides and move in an arrest the suspect because it appeared that he was under the influence of drugs himself. The suspect was arrested without incident and management took over the operation of the ride.

ARRESTED:
Eric Wayne Kovach
31360 Eden Allen Rd.
Eden, Maryland
W/M/1-6-1971

Charged with:
CDS Distribution
CDS Narcotics Unlawful Manufacturing & Distributing
Held at Somerset County Detention Center on $25,000 bail, he has since bailed out of jail.

Source;  http://www.wgmd.com/?p=34132

Pocomoke City Drug Arrests - UPDATE

Many of us remember the drug busts that occured in Pocomoke City and various neighboring towns at the end of July 2011 into August of this year.  Thirty people alone from Pocomoke City were arrested and taken to jail.

That's where the stories and information ended for most of us.  A faithful reader and caring citizen of Worcester County took time to go through every name of  the Pocomoke arrests in the Maryland judiciary information, write the recent info,  and submit it to me.  And we appreciate it so much!!

Keep in mind that these trials are a few weeks away and there can be many changes.  Here are the most recent accounts: 

Pocomoke City Drug Arrests Update

Possession and Distribution Arrests-

Breon Ayres , 19 of Pocomoke City,  has retained  a public defender.  He is charged with 10 drug related offenses.  Jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11

Patrick L. Schoolfield, 28 of Pocomoke City, has retained a public defender.  He is charged with 3 drug related offenses.  Jury trial is scheduled for 10/12/11

Javon T. Schoolfield, 25 of Pocomoke City is charged with 8 drug related offenses.  A jury trial is scheduled for 10/12/11.  An attorney appearance has not yet been noted. 

Richard Wayne Williams, 36 of  Pocomoke City is charged with 6 drug related offenses.  A jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11 and a public defender has been reatained.

Donald E. Sturgis, 29 of Pocomoke City is charged with 5 drug related offenses and has retained a public defender.  Jury trial scheduled for 10/12/11.

Antonio L. Wise, 39 of Pocomoke City is due to be arraigned on 9/7/11 on 5 counts of drug related offenses.  He has been in contact with the public defender’s office.

Kaniesha L. Johnson, 18 of Pocomoke City has been charged with 5 counts of drug related offenses.  A jury trial is scheduled for 11/8/11.  She will be represented by the public defender’s office.

Martel L. Costen, 26 of Pocomoke City was charged with 3 counts of drug related offenses and has a jury trial scheduled for 10/12/11.   A public defender has been retained.

Minaster F.N. Wright, 55 of Pocomoke City is due to be arraigned on 9/7/11 on 10 counts of drug related charges.  An attorney appearance has not yet to be noted.



Honiss W. Cane, 40 of Pocomoke City is charged with 3 drug related offenses and has retained the services of private defense attorney Michael Farlow.   A jury trial scheduled for 10/12/11 has been postponed.  A new trial date has not yet been set.

Gabriel D. Hayes, 34 of Pocomoke City, has retained a public defender and is charged with 5 drug related offenses.  Jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11.

Broadus L. Mason, 32 of Pocomoke City, has retained a public defender and is charged with 3 drug related offenses.  A jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11.

Tamar G. Cutler, 27 of Pocomoke City is charged with 6 counts of drug related offenses.  A public defender's appearance has been filed and a jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11.

Gregory D. Snead, 23 of Pocomoke City is due to be arraigned on 9/7/11 on 5 drug related counts.  An attorney appearance is not yet noted.

Eric V. Bishop, 55 of Pocomoke City has had a jury trial scheduled for 11/8/11 postponed.  New trial date is not yet set.  He is charged with 16 drug related offenses and has retained the services of a public defender.

Marcus D. Fletcher, 36 of Pocomoke City is charged with 9 drug related offenses and a jury trial is scheduled for 10/11/11.  An attorney appearance is not yet noted.

Devin D. Bryant, 22 of Pocomoke City has a court hearing on 9/23/11.  He is charged with 5 drug related offenses and is represented by a public defender.

Other Arrests-

Tyrone K. Nixon is charged with 3 counts of possession and a District Court trial date is set for 11/12/11.  An attorney's appearance is not yet noted. 

Sharon R. Benoit, 49 of Pocomoke City has been charged with a common nuisance for allegedly allowing her house to be used by drug abusers.   She is represented by a public defender and a jury trial is scheduled for 11/8/11.

*This is all tenative and can change*

20 TONS Of Pot Found Near Tunnel By U S Border

SAN DIEGO – Federal authorities in San Diego have made one of the largest marijuana seizures in the United States, confiscating 20 tons of pot near an underground tunnel connecting warehouses on either side of California's border with Mexico, officials said Wednesday.

Mexican authorities seized another four tons of pot from the warehouse on their side of the border. Officials said the lightening-speed, 12-hour operation started Tuesday night when U.S. authorities watching a warehouse under surveillance followed a tractor-trailer as it left the building.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents called in the California Highway Patrol, whose officers stopped the rig near Temecula and authorities found 10 tons of marijuana inside. The driver, a U.S. citizen, and his Mexican wife were arrested and will be arraigned in San Diego on Thursday.

Authorities quickly obtained a federal search warrant to go inside the warehouse, where they discovered 10 to 15 tons of marijuana — worth an estimated $20 million, said ICE director John Morton.

They also found a wood door that opened to a hole leading to the tunnel, running the length of six football fields, under the border and into a warehouse in Mexico, Morton said. Officials found packets being ready to be moved into the United States from the tunnel, which had lighting, ventilation and a rail system to send loads of illegal drugs into California.

"This is not a mom-and-pop operation. This is obviously the work of a cartel," said Morton, who held a news conference outside the warehouse in an industrial park near the Otay Mesa truck crossing, across from Tijuana.

Officials said the seizure was the largest ever in California and was believed to be the second-largest in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 33 tons of marijuana in Oregon in 2008, DEA special agent Ralph W. Partridge said.

www.yahoo.com

Military Wants To Ban Synthetic Marijuana Sellers

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY.com) - The military wants to ban synthetic marijuana sellers, and heard from local retailers selling Spice on Thursday.

Former Marine, Andy Martin drove an hour and a half to get to Lazy Dayz Hookah Lounge in Newport News. "Keeps kids from running out on the streets, doing drugs, you can come in here, lounge, get a hookah, get on your laptop, sit on a couch with your friends and do your thing," said Martin.

The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board heard from business owners selling Spice.

"It was part public flogging, part sincere information seeking," said Lazy Dayz Owner Jay Sedwick.

Sedwick and co-owner Andrew Erickson presented their side. "We don't sell to people in uniform or fatigues or anyone that has a military ID," said the owners.

The Military said it will put Lazy Dayz and any other business on the Off Limits List if it doesn't stop selling Spice. Spice is on the military's zero tolerance policy. It's packaged and sold as an incense, but when smoked, acts like marijuana.

Andy Martin showed WAVY.com the kind he likes.

"It's comatose candy," said Martin.

Comatose candy is just one brand of Spice.

Lazy Dayz owners said it's unfair for the military to put them on the Off Limits List, especially since they say servicemembers are a huge part of their clientele.

"With service men and women coming back from Iraq, Dubai, Afghanistan, Hookah smoking is a big hobby over there," said Sedwick.

So, why not stop selling Spice?

"They definitely asked us that, there's a huge demand for it, we're in America we shouldn't have to choose one market over another," said Sedwick.

Sedwick and Erickson believe if the military bans all the big spice selling shops, service members will likely buy spice from smaller shops and gas stations, that they say could sell a more dangerous counterfeit version of the product.

"I hope they'll see our side and will take into consideration what we said," said Sedwick.

Lazy Dayz does not allow customers to smoke spice in the Hookah lounge.

The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board will make a recommendation to the Regional Commander next week.

The admiral will then make the final decision and a letter will be sent to the business.

www.wavy.com

Virginian's Are Urged To Take Part In DEA National Take-Back Day

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced Virginia's participation in the first-ever U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Take-Back Day, a program in which communities will provide collection sites to allow citizens to safely dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications, to help prevent prescription drug abuse. National Take-Back Day will be held on Saturday, September 25th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in more than 75 communities across the Commonwealth. More information about National Take-Back Day and a list of medication drop off sites in the Commonwealth is available online at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/index.html or www.dea.gov.

The DEA is coordinating this one-day effort with the assistance of Virginia's Secretary of Public Safety, the Office of the Attorney General, the Virginia State Police, and local law enforcement agencies.

The Virginia Department of Health Professions, which houses the Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program, is spreading the word about National Take-Back Day with Virginias healthcare professionals, agencies, and members of the General Assembly. Speaking about National Take-Back Day, Governor McDonnell commented, "Drug abuse is directly related to increased crime rates, overdose deaths and emergency room visits. In Virginia, drug deaths are comparable to the number of traffic fatalities each year. We want to change the equation by taking preventative steps, including encouraging Virginians to get rid of old medications. People should not hold on to expired or unused medications, particularly in homes with children, teens and seniors which are especially vulnerable to this danger."

Important information about National Take-Back Day:

The program is anonymous and free
Prescription and over-the-counter medications are accepted
Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted
Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative
Medications may be kept in original containers for disposal on National Take-Back Day
Public health officials and environmental quality experts recommend the following action steps for the ongoing disposal of medications:

Participate in community and national pharmaceutical take back programs
Remove unused, unwanted or expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs from their original container and mix with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter then place in nondescript sealable bags or containers such as empty cans or sealable bags for disposal

Public health officials now call prescription drug abuse an epidemic. It is the number 2 category of substance abuse, behind marijuana abuse which is number 1.
www.shoredailynews.com