Last Person Arrested in Meth Trafficking Case

POCATELLO—All 11 people indicted in a federal drug trafficking case on Tuesday are in custody this morning after Ricardo Garcia Lopez, 34, was arrested last night in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Arrested with Garcia was Jenny Flores-Leal, 36, on state charges of harboring a fugitive.

The federal defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Arraignments are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. today in United States District Court in Pocatello.

Garcia is charged with co-defendants Samuel Nevarez-Ayon, 25, and Fabiola Esmerelda Marin-Castro, 24, of Rexburg, Idaho; Guadalupe Meraz, 40, of Medara, California; Ana Rosa Valdez-Ceja, 25, Juan Ortiz, Jr., 27, and Antonio Javier Mendoza, 27, of Shelly, Idaho; Isidoro David Herrera, 30, Daniel Quiroz, 24, Everado Tapia Torres, Jr., 29, Ricardo Garcia Lopez, 34, and Nicolas Levi Olsen, 28, of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Federal drug trafficking charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $8 million, and a minimum term of five years of supervised release.

The charges are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Rexburg Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Destin Homicide Suspect Arrested in Madison County

Madison, FL - A Crestview, Florida man wanted in connection with a Homicide and Armed Robbery is finally behind bars after almost two weeks on the run. According to investigators from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, 23 year old Deaundros L. Blackshear was involved in an armed robbery on November 15, 2011 in Destin, Florida which ended in the shooting death of 21 year old Junior Christopher Ferguson. Information released indicated that Blackshear and co-defendant Arderiuss Warren set up a deal with Ferguson and Peter Frazier to purchase $1000.00 worth of cellular telephones. As Frazier and Warren discussed the deal and exchanged money, Blackshear is alleged to have pulled out a gun killing Ferguson and wounding Frazier. Arderiuss Warren was arrested by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on November 16 for unrelated drug charges and charged on November 17 with the murder and armed robbery of Ferguson and Frazier.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputies identified Deaundros Blackshear as the alleged shooter in the robbery and have been pursuing Blackshear throughout North Florida and South Alabama since the incident. Members of the US Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force were contacted by Okaloosa investigators on Friday November 18 after information was obtained that Blackshear may have fled to the Madison County, Florida area. Task Force members working with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office identified several family members and known associates of Blackshear who were currently living in Madison County. Information developed by Madison investigators lead a team of task force officers to a residence in the 200 block of Anderson Pond Way early this morning. US Marshals Task Force Officers and Madison County Deputy Sheriff’s surrounded the residence and located Blackshear inside the residence hiding in a room with two small female children.

Blackshear surrendered to the overwhelming law enforcement presence after a brief standoff and was booked into the Madison County Jail where he awaits extradition back to Okaloosa County.

The Tallahassee Division of the FRFTF is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County State Attorney’s Office, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, Tallahassee Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office. These local law enforcement agencies contribute approximately 23 officers in both full time and part time roles with the officers sworn in as Special Deputy US Marshals who have the authority to cross their normal jurisdictional lines to pursue fugitives wanted for violent crimes by their respective departments.

U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Arrests Alabama Fugitive

Tallahassee, FL - The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force (FRFTF) today announced the arrest of thirty year old Marquez Cornelius Vaughn of Opelika, Alabama at an apartment complex located at 1112 South Magnolia Drive in Tallahassee, FL. Vaughn was currently being sought by the Opelika Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Montgomery, Alabama on charges of 1st Degree Robbery and 2nd Degree Assault. According to Alabama authorities, Vaughn was involved in an Armed Robbery on June 19, 2011 in which Vaughn is alleged to have shot the victim in the leg before taking approximately four hundred dollars in cash as well as the victim's cellular phone. Alabama authorities also advised that Vaughn had previously fired shots at Opelika Police Officers during a prior arrest which prompted Vaughn's listing as Armed and Dangerous.

Investigation by Opelika PD and U.S. Marshals indicated that Vaughn fled Alabama shortly after the shooting to the Tallahassee, Florida area where he was located hiding with a relative at the Tally Terrace apartment complex. FRFTF members entered the apartment during an early morning operation and first located two sleeping juveniles on the ground floor of the two story apartment. FRFTF evacuated the two females prior to confronting Vaughn who was located asleep in an upstairs bedroom where he was arrested without incident. Vaughn initially told task force officers that he thought he was dreaming when he awoke to find a room full of US Marshals armed with rifles and ballistic shields standing over his bed. Vaughn was transported to the Leon County Jail by task force members and is currently awaiting an extradition hearing which will send him back to Alabama to face his charges.

The Tallahassee Division of the FRFTF is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, Leon County Sheriff's Office, Leon County State Attorney's Office, Liberty County Sheriff's Office, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Perry Police Department, Tallahassee Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff's Office, and the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office.

Murder Suspect Captured by Marshals in South Carolina

Jackson, TN – U.S. Marshals announced today the capture of Jonique Diguel Merriweather, who was wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred earlier in the week. According to investigators with the Jackson Police Department the victim, Michael Bates, was killed on Sunday when he sustained a single gunshot wound while driving his car on a local Jackson street. An Arrest Warrant was issued on February 14, 2011 charging Merriweather with First Degree Murder in connection with the shooting.

Jackson Police contacted the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task force on the day the warrant was issued and asked for assistance in locating Merriweather. The joint investigation which followed revealed Merriweather had fled the state. Today, acting on a tip, Marshals located Merriweather at an address in North Augusta, SC. Marshals with the Operation Intercept Fugitive Task Force along with North Augusta SWAT and Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms arrested Merriweather at 711 Groves Blvd, North Augusta, SC. Marshals there say a firearm and large sum of money was also located inside the residence.

Kelvin Washington, U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina stated: “Many fugitives attempt to run and hide in our great state. However, the united law enforcement community has again brought another fugitive to justice. We appreciate the assistance of the North Augusta SWAT team and their dedication to ensuring our communities safety.”

Merriweather was transported to the Lexington County Detention Center where he will be held while awaiting extradition back to Tennessee.

The Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) and Operation Intercept are each a wing of the U.S. Marshals. The GCRFTF has offices in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama while Operation Intercept is located in South Carolina. The Jackson, TN office consists of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Investigators with the Jackson Police Department and Deputies with the Madison County Tennessee Sheriffs Office.

This article was sponsored by Police Books.

Arkansas Man Arrested in Connection with Explosive Device Left at Polling Place in Carroll County, Arkansas

Fort Smith — U.S. Attorney Deborah Groom of the Western District of Arkansas announced today that members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mark Krause, a 40-year-old Arkansas man, on a criminal complaint charging him with Attempted Use of Force Against Those Engaged in Federally Protected Activities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 245(b)(1)(A) and Possession of a Firearm, Namely a Destructive Device, not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5861(d) and 5871 in connection with an explosive device found at a polling place in Osage, Arkansas, in June 2010. Mark Krause was located and arrested this morning without incident in Seattle, Washington. He made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington this afternoon and was ordered detained and returned to Arkansas for further proceedings.

Valerie Parlave, Special Agent in Charge for the Little Rock Field Office of the FBI stated, ’“The FBI would like to thank those members of the public and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office who were alert and vigilant back in June 2010 in initially reporting and responding to the incident at the polling site. The FBI relies upon the vigilant efforts of the public and local law enforcement to help protect the American people. The FBI would also like to recognize the cooperation and professionalism of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Bentonville Police Department Bomb Squad, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in this investigation”.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Police Promotions and Mob Books

January 9, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officers, two of whom have written about the police promotion process and one who has written about the Las Vegas Mob.

Andy Borrello is a Lieutenant with the San Gabriel Police Department (California). With more than 21 years police experience, the past 18 years have been as a sworn full time officer (3 years as a volunteer auxiliary police officer). Lieutenant Andy Borrello’s diverse background includes working as a patrol officer, defensive tactics instructor, a detective working burglary, street narcotics, vice, and as a member of a task force working major narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime.

Lieutenant Andy Borrello is the book author of Oral Interview Dynamics as well as numerous multi-subject law enforcement articles with topics covering police promotion, training and advanced officer development, police terminology, felony car stops, impact weapon selection, community oriented policing, and the Internet.

According to the book description of Oral Interview Dynamics, “The contents of this book are designed specifically for law enforcement officers, front-line supervisors, and managers who have reached the point in their careers where they are ready to advance their rank. The focus of this information is on the police promotional oral interview. In a majority of police agencies across the country the oral interview is both the most critical part of the promotion process and the most difficult.”

In November 1988, Captain Brian T. Page of the Rochester Police Department became the chief of police of the Ithaca Police Department (New York). He served as chief fore six months before leaving for personal reasons. Brian Page is the author of the Assessment Center Handbook and Getting Ready for that Assessment Center.

Dennis N. Griffin began his investigative career with Pinkerton’s investigator and retired as Director of Investigations for the New York State Department of Health. In between, he served as a Senior Child Support Investigator and deputy sheriff for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office (New York). Dennis Griffin has been living and writing in Las Vegas since 1996, publishing six novels and three nonfiction books about Las Vegas law enforcement.

According to Dennis Griffin, “I started writing in 1996 to tell the story of what I learned while investigating the operation of a medical examiner's office. It was an eye-opening experience for me and I felt compelled to share it with others. I eventually produced a fictionalized account called The Morgue. I found to my chagrin that readers didn't believe anything in the book could actually happen, but they liked the story and my style; rough edges and all. That response caused me to write Red Gold, also based on personal experience. I now have a total of six fictions in print.

In January 2002, I decided to try my hand at non-ficton and began writing Policing Las Vegas. This book covers the history of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from 1905 thru 2004. My second non-fiction, The Battle for Las Vegas, is the story of the Vegas reign of Chicago mob enforcer Tony Spilotro. In the movie Casino, actor Joe Pesci played a character based on Spilotro. Battle was released nationally on July 1, 2006. My third Vegas-based non-fiction, CULLOTTA - The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness was released nationally in July 2007.”

According to the book description of Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness, “From burglary to armed robbery and murder, infamous bad guy Frank Cullotta not only did it all, in Cullotta he admits to it -- and in graphic detail. This no-holds-barred biography chronicles the life of a career criminal who started out as a thug on the streets of Chicago and became a trusted lieutenant in Tony Spilotro's gang of organized lawbreakers in Las Vegas. Cullotta's was a world of high-profile heists, street muscle, and information -- lots of it -- about many of the FBI's most wanted. In the end, that information was his ticket out of crime, as he turned government witness and became one of a handful of mob insiders to enter the Witness Protection Program.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 826 police officers (representing 373 police departments) and their 1749 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.