The Times West Virginian

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Blue Haze arrests

Shardinae Adams, 19, of Weston, convicted on charges of distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Andrea Armentrout, 25, of Farmington, convicted on charges of distribution of alprazolam within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Justin M. Batson, 21, of Farmington, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Antwan Beafore, 19, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Tyrone Dupree Beafore, 32, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Tina Belcastro, 51, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of buprenorphine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Lindsay Biafore, 27, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments and possession of a firearm by unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Pamela Burns, 31, of Barrackville, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Shawn A. Burns, 34, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Cara Carpenter, 22, of Barrackville, convicted on charges of distribution of oxycodone within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Charles Chaney, 37, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of felon in possession of firearm.
Ronald A. Chaney, Jr., 28, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine and felon in possession of firearm.
Michele Coffman of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Karen Cottrill, 46, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of morphine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Robert Craner, 20, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 Feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Thomas Jefferson Deem, 23, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of hydrocodone within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Joshua DeWitt, 33, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of hydrocodone within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Dwan Edwards, 28, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of felon in possession of a firearm.
Bryan Keith Egress, 28, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of failure to register as a sex offender.
Stanley Fleming, 31, of Fairmont,convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Diana Ford, 21, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Charles K. Glaspell-McCoy, 23, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Leonard Gunter, 26, of Morgantown, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Kyra Haddix, 24, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of amphetamine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Jenna Hansler, 25, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Michael Hawkins, 32, of Clarksburg, convicted on charges of possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice.
Joseph Hearn, 36, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments and transfer of a firearm to an out-of-state resident.
Lisa Hernandez, 27, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of buprenorphine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Aaron Higgins, 29, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Krista Hunter, 25, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of hydrocodone and alprazolam within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments. Sentenced on Oct. 12 to 10 months imprisonment and four years SR.
Lamar James, 40, of Carolina, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Damon Jennings, 37, of Barrackville, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments and possession with intent to distribute cocaine HCL.
Melissa Jones, 29, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Octavius Jones, 21, of Barrackville, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 Feet of Carlone Street Apartments and transfer of a firearm to an out-of-state resident.
Aaron Kennedy, 22, of Farmington, convicted on charges of false statement in the acquisition of a firearm.
Keith Leavengood, 35, of Metz, convicted on charges of distribution of hydrocodone and alprazolam within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments. Sentenced on Oct. 11 to 12 months imprisonment and 4 years SR.
John R. Morris, Jr., 55, of Rivesville, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carline Street Apartments. Pled guilty but indictment dismissed due to terminal illness of defendant.
Shaqur Taje Otey, 18, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Carlos Pagan a/k/a “Los,” indictment dismissed to plea in state court.
Destiny S. Sandy, 19, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Darin L. Shackelford, 37, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Eric Smith, 28, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Jake Smith, 50, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Ronald Devon Smith, 22, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Brandon T. Tucker, 22, convicted on charges of distribution of MDMA within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Carl Waites, III, 40, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Naquan Warren, 22, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
John Willett, 27, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of buprenorphine within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments.
Justin Williams, 37, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial no.
Richard Williams, 48, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of felon in possession of ammunition.
Ruth Wyatt, 50, of Rivesville, convicted on charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments. Sentenced on Oct. 11 to 5 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release, with the first five months of SR to be on home detention.
Whitney Yerace, 25, of Fairmont, convicted on charges of distribution of cocaine HCL within 1,000 feet of Carlone Street Apartments. 
 

October 16, 2012

Feds announce Operation Blue Haze results

52 convictions on drugs, weapons charges from undercover sting

By Kaylyn Christopher Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — At a press conference on Monday, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld, II, announced the resolution of a special undercover investigation that targeted drug and firearm trafficking within Marion County.

The investigation, known as Operation Blue Haze, began in the summer of 2011. In May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fairmont Police Department were able to indict 53 individuals who were involved in criminal activity in the Fairmont area. Of those 53 individuals, 52 have been convicted on drug and gun charges, 51 pleaded guilty in federal court and one has pleaded guilty in state court. As of Friday, the last federal defendant pleaded guilty in federal court in Clarksburg, Ihlenfeld said.

“Cases of this magnitude have a long term impact on a community,” Ihlenfeld said. “They make communities safer.”

The investigation recovered 21 firearms and $100,000 worth of drugs. The case yielded pistols, revolvers, rounds of ammunition, ballistics vests, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills. Those individuals convicted through the investigation are responsible for over 250 prior arrests.

“We made the streets of Fairmont safer because of all that we took off the streets — all of the guns, all of the drugs and all of the people that were commiting bad acts in this town and this county,” Ihlenfeld said.

 Fairmont Police Chief Kelley Moran said that Operation Blue Haze has been instrumental in setting a precedent for the future of Fairmont.

“As a result of this investigation we not only received convictions but we also received a lower crime rate,” he said. “The number of shootings and the number of robberies in Fairmont have decreased over the past six months.”

According to Ihlenfeld, many of the defendants have long criminal histories and may face significant prison sentences. He hopes that the results of Operation Blue Haze will deter others from participating in criminal behavior in the area.

“It sends a message that the city is going to work hard to clean up the streets,” he said.

Resident Agent in Charge, Dewayne Haddix, of ATF, confirmed that the investigation accomplished exactly what it set out to do.

    “The goal was to improve the quality of life for the fine citizens of Marion County and the surrounding communities,” Haddix said. “That goal has been achieved.”

Three of the individuals who were convicted have already been sentenced. The remaining defendants will face sentencing between now and Jan. 13, 2013. The defendants and their respective convictions are listed in full at www.timeswv.com.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

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