75 students arrested in San Diego State University drug bust
Authorities arrest 75 students in drug bust at San Diego State University
By ALLISON HOFFMAN Associated Press Writer AP
May 6, 2008
Dozens of San Diego State University students were arrested after a sweeping drug investigation found that some fraternity members openly dealt drugs and one even sent a mass text message advertising cocaine, authorities said Tuesday.
Two kilograms of cocaine were seized, along with 350 Ecstasy pills, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, hash oil, methamphetamine, illicit prescription drugs, several guns and at least $60,000 in cash, authorities said.
Of the 96 people arrested, 75 were students. Eighteen of the students were arrested Tuesday when nine search warrants were executed at various locations including fraternities, said Jesse Rodriguez, San Diego County assistant district attorney.
The undercover probe, dubbed Operation Sudden Fall, was sparked by the cocaine overdose death of a student in May 2007, authorities said. As the investigation continued, another student, from Mesa College, died Feb. 26 of a cocaine overdose at an SDSU fraternity house, the DEA said.
Those arrested included a student who was about to receive a criminal justice degree and another who was to receive a master's degree in homeland security.
"A sad commentary is that when one of these individuals was arrested, they inquired as (to) whether or not his arrest and incarceration would have an effect on him becoming a federal law enforcement officer," said Ralph Partridge, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego.
1
2
3
4
Next Page
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Meth Lab Residue in Homes Triggers Litigation
First it was toxic mold. Now it's meth residue.
Property owners are battling a new breed of lawsuits, in which people who unwittingly bought homes that were once methamphetamine labs are suing over contaminated houses that are making them sick.
The lawsuits are fallout from the massive federal crackdown on meth labs during the past decade, which saw more than 100,000 labs busted, leaving behind thousands of polluted homes and apartments for unsuspecting residents to fill.
Buyers are claiming that property owners know about the meth contamination, which can live in walls, carpets and furniture, but fail to disclose it. But many landlords and property owners counter that the meth crisis has victimized them, forcing them to pay thousands of dollars in cleanup costs for a problem they neither caused nor knew about.
In Ohio, a single mother is suing the former owner of a drug house that she unknowingly bought, alleging he had failed to tell her that the $147,000 home was a former meth lab. Her children developed chronic respiratory problems, forcing her to vacate the house, lose most of her personal belongings and face foreclosure. Taylor Bean & Whittaker Mortgage Corp. v. Wagner, No. CV2007-07-4932 (Summit Co., Ohio, Ct. C.P.).
In Washington state, a real estate company and property owners are currently appealing a court ruling that awarded $94,000 to a family that unknowingly bought a house that was a former meth lab. The family was forced to move and lost its personal belongings to contamination. Bloor v. Fritz, No. 05-200628-3 (Lewis Co., Wash., Super Ct.).
"This has become pretty prevalent, unfortunately," said Denver attorney Tom Bulger of the Denver-based Silvern Law Offices. "In the last year, I have gotten repeated calls ... and they're not just from folks renting the $300-a-month flea-bag type of apartment. These are folks living in very nice apartment complexes in nice neighborhoods."
On the legislative front, the meth lab crisis has prompted 14 states to pass laws in recent years mandating that sellers disclose to buyers that a home was a former meth lab. Laws mandating sellers to clean up meth houses before selling them are on the books in 13 states.
Ohio attorney Warner Mendenhall, who is representing the single mother in the Ohio lawsuit, believes that a wave of meth contamination litigation is on the horizon.
"In the city of Akron alone, there are hundreds of houses, apartments and hotel rooms that have been used as meth production labs, and I think there are tremendous dangers there," said Mendenhall of Akron, Ohio's The Law Offices of Warner Mendenhall. "And frankly, we have started to hear from people who bought some of those houses."
Attorney Joseph Hoerig of Akron, Ohio, who is defending the seller in the Ohio case, did not return calls for comment.
The National Association of Realtors defends the role that real estate agents play in disclosing meth contamination to prospective buyers.
"Realtors disclose what they know and they try to do what they can do find out about a house. But it's difficult to find out every single element or aspect of a house because if the seller doesn't tell them, and there are no records, how is a Realtor going to know about those issues?" asked Russell Riggs, an NAR official who represents real estate agents before federal regulatory agencies.
Property owners are also owning up to their responsibility in disclosing meth contamination, said Mike Nesteroff, a real estate and environmental law litigator at Seattle's Lane Powell. "Certainly, it's bad news when a property owner finds out they have meth contamination. It adds uncertainly to any transaction. It also means having to lay out money for something that a property owner doesn't feel like they should have to do."
Property owners are battling a new breed of lawsuits, in which people who unwittingly bought homes that were once methamphetamine labs are suing over contaminated houses that are making them sick.
The lawsuits are fallout from the massive federal crackdown on meth labs during the past decade, which saw more than 100,000 labs busted, leaving behind thousands of polluted homes and apartments for unsuspecting residents to fill.
Buyers are claiming that property owners know about the meth contamination, which can live in walls, carpets and furniture, but fail to disclose it. But many landlords and property owners counter that the meth crisis has victimized them, forcing them to pay thousands of dollars in cleanup costs for a problem they neither caused nor knew about.
In Ohio, a single mother is suing the former owner of a drug house that she unknowingly bought, alleging he had failed to tell her that the $147,000 home was a former meth lab. Her children developed chronic respiratory problems, forcing her to vacate the house, lose most of her personal belongings and face foreclosure. Taylor Bean & Whittaker Mortgage Corp. v. Wagner, No. CV2007-07-4932 (Summit Co., Ohio, Ct. C.P.).
In Washington state, a real estate company and property owners are currently appealing a court ruling that awarded $94,000 to a family that unknowingly bought a house that was a former meth lab. The family was forced to move and lost its personal belongings to contamination. Bloor v. Fritz, No. 05-200628-3 (Lewis Co., Wash., Super Ct.).
"This has become pretty prevalent, unfortunately," said Denver attorney Tom Bulger of the Denver-based Silvern Law Offices. "In the last year, I have gotten repeated calls ... and they're not just from folks renting the $300-a-month flea-bag type of apartment. These are folks living in very nice apartment complexes in nice neighborhoods."
On the legislative front, the meth lab crisis has prompted 14 states to pass laws in recent years mandating that sellers disclose to buyers that a home was a former meth lab. Laws mandating sellers to clean up meth houses before selling them are on the books in 13 states.
Ohio attorney Warner Mendenhall, who is representing the single mother in the Ohio lawsuit, believes that a wave of meth contamination litigation is on the horizon.
"In the city of Akron alone, there are hundreds of houses, apartments and hotel rooms that have been used as meth production labs, and I think there are tremendous dangers there," said Mendenhall of Akron, Ohio's The Law Offices of Warner Mendenhall. "And frankly, we have started to hear from people who bought some of those houses."
Attorney Joseph Hoerig of Akron, Ohio, who is defending the seller in the Ohio case, did not return calls for comment.
The National Association of Realtors defends the role that real estate agents play in disclosing meth contamination to prospective buyers.
"Realtors disclose what they know and they try to do what they can do find out about a house. But it's difficult to find out every single element or aspect of a house because if the seller doesn't tell them, and there are no records, how is a Realtor going to know about those issues?" asked Russell Riggs, an NAR official who represents real estate agents before federal regulatory agencies.
Property owners are also owning up to their responsibility in disclosing meth contamination, said Mike Nesteroff, a real estate and environmental law litigator at Seattle's Lane Powell. "Certainly, it's bad news when a property owner finds out they have meth contamination. It adds uncertainly to any transaction. It also means having to lay out money for something that a property owner doesn't feel like they should have to do."
Friday, March 21, 2008
Random Student Drug Tests Banned in State of Washington
March 17, 2008
News Summary
The Washington state Constitution prohibits random testing of student athletes for drugs, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
"We cannot countenance random searches of public school student athletes," Justice Richard Sanders wrote. "We require a warrant except for rare occasions which we jealously and narrowly guard."
The Seattle Times reported March 14 that the Washington Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of high-school athletes who sued the Wahkiakum School District because they were required to submit to urine testing to take part in sports. The state's highest court said that drug testing is not justified under the state constitution unless there is reason to believe that the student is using drugs.
The decision effectively puts an end to random student drug testing in Washington; other states do permit such testing, and it also is considered legal under the U.S. Constitution. "A student athlete has a genuine and fundamental privacy interest in controlling his or her own bodily functions," Sanders wrote. "Even if done in an enclosed stall, this is a significant intrusion on a student's fundamental right of privacy."
"The justices concluded, as we had contended, that it violates the state Constitution to require a student to give their urine without any reason to believe they've done anything wrong," said ACLU of Washington spokesperson Doug Honig.
News Summary
The Washington state Constitution prohibits random testing of student athletes for drugs, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
"We cannot countenance random searches of public school student athletes," Justice Richard Sanders wrote. "We require a warrant except for rare occasions which we jealously and narrowly guard."
The Seattle Times reported March 14 that the Washington Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of high-school athletes who sued the Wahkiakum School District because they were required to submit to urine testing to take part in sports. The state's highest court said that drug testing is not justified under the state constitution unless there is reason to believe that the student is using drugs.
The decision effectively puts an end to random student drug testing in Washington; other states do permit such testing, and it also is considered legal under the U.S. Constitution. "A student athlete has a genuine and fundamental privacy interest in controlling his or her own bodily functions," Sanders wrote. "Even if done in an enclosed stall, this is a significant intrusion on a student's fundamental right of privacy."
"The justices concluded, as we had contended, that it violates the state Constitution to require a student to give their urine without any reason to believe they've done anything wrong," said ACLU of Washington spokesperson Doug Honig.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Man Busted in Gang Raid - Charged with Distributing Methamphetamine
CALDWELL -- Two men police are calling notorious gang members are in custody today – charged with distributing methamphetamine.
Lucio Esparza was arrested in a Caldwell home just after 5 a.m. – at the same time his father Alfredo Esparza Sr. was arrested in Nampa.
In addition to the meth distribution charges – police say they anticipate other charges will soon be filed. The men are being questioned by police.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Caldwell Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and the Metro Violent Crimes Task Force have been working together for nearly eight months on the investigation – which led to federal charges against the pair.
Idaho State Police and Nampa Police assisted in this morning’s arrests.
Lucio Esparza was arrested at 1620 Fillmore in Nampa, and Alfredo Esparza Sr. was arrested at 801 Garden Valley Street in Nampa. Police also raided a third home at 1007 Chicago in Caldwell – two adults and a child in that home were arrested, but later released.
"I'm excited because we are getting rid of a neighborhood problem that we've had for years, since the latter part of the 1990s and all through 2000," neighbor Sharon O. Brown said.
Officers are combing over the home looking for evidence in the crimes, and are seizing property and vehicles – thought to be profits from criminal activity.
Investigators say they found money, drugs and guns inside the home.
ATF officials say the Esparzas have been known to say they were “untouchable” by law enforcement.
"The Esparza name has been well known in the law enforcement community and they've boasted over the years that they are untouchable,” Mark Leiser with Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms said “Today it’s important to know that law enforcement actually reached out and touched the Esparzas.”
School impacted
Students at nearby Washington Elementary in Caldwell were escorted around the Fillmore St. home by crossing guards this morning.
"We've been assured that everything is safe here and that everything is OK," Jonathan Cline with Caldwell Schools said. "We just want to keep the children protected and feel like everything is OK."
Cline said he was told to keep the situation very quiet until the last possible moment.
"First thing this morning I made some contacts and we made arrangement to have some people come in early so we can start bring the kids in so we can make them feel safe," he said.
Families of students who knew the family were told to keep their children home from school today.
Past charge
In October 2004, Lucio Esparza was charged with first degree murder for a drive-by shooting on Galveston in Caldwell. Police said at the time that Esparza and another man were responsible for shooting and killing Sigmund Goode, 21 of Caldwell.
He was not convicted in the crime. A judge dismissed the charges against Esparza and fellow defendant Ismael Tovar in September, 2005 after several witnesses admitted they lied during testimony.
Lucio Esparza was arrested in a Caldwell home just after 5 a.m. – at the same time his father Alfredo Esparza Sr. was arrested in Nampa.
In addition to the meth distribution charges – police say they anticipate other charges will soon be filed. The men are being questioned by police.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Caldwell Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and the Metro Violent Crimes Task Force have been working together for nearly eight months on the investigation – which led to federal charges against the pair.
Idaho State Police and Nampa Police assisted in this morning’s arrests.
Lucio Esparza was arrested at 1620 Fillmore in Nampa, and Alfredo Esparza Sr. was arrested at 801 Garden Valley Street in Nampa. Police also raided a third home at 1007 Chicago in Caldwell – two adults and a child in that home were arrested, but later released.
"I'm excited because we are getting rid of a neighborhood problem that we've had for years, since the latter part of the 1990s and all through 2000," neighbor Sharon O. Brown said.
Officers are combing over the home looking for evidence in the crimes, and are seizing property and vehicles – thought to be profits from criminal activity.
Investigators say they found money, drugs and guns inside the home.
ATF officials say the Esparzas have been known to say they were “untouchable” by law enforcement.
"The Esparza name has been well known in the law enforcement community and they've boasted over the years that they are untouchable,” Mark Leiser with Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms said “Today it’s important to know that law enforcement actually reached out and touched the Esparzas.”
School impacted
Students at nearby Washington Elementary in Caldwell were escorted around the Fillmore St. home by crossing guards this morning.
"We've been assured that everything is safe here and that everything is OK," Jonathan Cline with Caldwell Schools said. "We just want to keep the children protected and feel like everything is OK."
Cline said he was told to keep the situation very quiet until the last possible moment.
"First thing this morning I made some contacts and we made arrangement to have some people come in early so we can start bring the kids in so we can make them feel safe," he said.
Families of students who knew the family were told to keep their children home from school today.
Past charge
In October 2004, Lucio Esparza was charged with first degree murder for a drive-by shooting on Galveston in Caldwell. Police said at the time that Esparza and another man were responsible for shooting and killing Sigmund Goode, 21 of Caldwell.
He was not convicted in the crime. A judge dismissed the charges against Esparza and fellow defendant Ismael Tovar in September, 2005 after several witnesses admitted they lied during testimony.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Idaho Meth Project
Ahead of the Kurve is proud to support the Idaho Meth Project.
Ask us how you can support the Idaho Meth Project too buy purchasing a Not Even Once bracelet for $1.00!
http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-mar2107-meth_project.234235e.html
Ask us how you can support the Idaho Meth Project too buy purchasing a Not Even Once bracelet for $1.00!
http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-mar2107-meth_project.234235e.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
