Lock Officials said that the drugs were intended to be distributed in and around the greater Louisville area and eastern Kentucky. In turn, that meant he couldn't pay the Prietos. (Louisville Metro Police Department). The potential penalty for the offense charged is a prison term of 10 years to life, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, and not less than 5 years of supervised release. During a search of the vehicle subsequent to a certified K-9 alert, law enforcement recovered: approximately one-hundred fifty-one (151) pounds of crystal methamphetamine, approximately three and one-half (3.5) pounds of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills suspected of containing fentanyl (contained in Ziploc bags), approximately twenty-one (21) pounds of marijuana, approximately nine (9) pounds of THC edibles, approximately fourteen (14) pounds of THC related vape products, and approximately one (1) gram of ecstasy. They believe it came from Colorado. Anytime we can take this much methamphetamine, fentanyl and firearms off the streets it is huge! The Prietosestablished the Louisville pipeline in 2016 after another one of Jose Prieto'ssons befriended Wiley Greenhill while both were inmatesat theRoederer Correctional Complex, an Oldham County prison about 23 miles northeast of Louisville. If convicted, the suspects could face a maximum sentence of life behind bars. Narcotics detectives soon stopped the truck near Derby and Carey avenues, seven miles northwest of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. You need to take that rock that I gave you on your finger and go pawn it if you need money for your kids. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The police said officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor, 26, in a March raid after her boyfriend shot an officer in the leg. We recognize people living in areas impacted by violence deserve to see their children grow up in safe neighborhoods. Police did not say whether anyone was arrested in connection with the drugs. That associate would deliver the drugs to a shipper, someone designated to get the drugs to Louisville andother destinations. All rights reserved, WATCH LIVE: Rain and Spotty Storms Wednesday, Powerful Storms Forecast for Thursday, Patient: Front Tooth Damaged During Medical Procedure, The Pandemic Altered Many Things, Including Alcohol AbuseThese Are the Warning Signs. (Published Feb. 24, 2020), Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All three of the men were arrested and charged with, among other things, complicity to trafficking in cocaine, complicity to possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Nov 11, 2022 mobile massage san francisco. LONDON, Ky. (WYMT) - The Laurel and Knox County Sheriff's Offices collaborated on a drug investigation that led to seven arrests Friday. I think she may have been given an ultimatum," to take her own life or the drug ring would kill her or someone she loved. Published: Jan. 12, 2020 at 10:13 AM PST. The lead agent saiddrug ring members are suspected of hiringWilliamsonof Detroitas a hitman to silence Stepp, a drug courier with inside knowledge ofthe organization. On Friday, K9 Franklin was thanked again for helping LMPD December 23rd with finding a dug traffickers suitcase with more than $250,000. MORRIS STEPHENSON Staff Writer. Five of the defendants face additional firearms and trafficking charges. I take her to the bus. A photo shows nearly 30,000 suspected fentanyl pills and at least 8.5 kilograms of fentanyl in a storage unit. Copyright 2021 WAVE 3 News. The newsroom's investigation revealed the drug ring's links totheshooting of Detective Hyche,the killing of a 28-year-old mother and a 27-year-old man in Louisville, themurderof a man inDetroitand the mysterious death of a woman in a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. Goodman pleaded guilty in 2019 in federal court to meth trafficking and is serving a 10-year sentence. Paducah:(270) 442-7104. Updated Jun 11, 2021, 4:29pm EDT. According to a statement from LMPD, the two agencies confiscated 8.5 kilos of suspected fentanyl and approximately 20,000-30,000 suspected pressed . So we are sending a message," said Jodi Cohen, FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge. Andy Beshear to . Guns, drugs and cash seized during home incarceration check, Precautionary boil advisory issued for water customers in east Jefferson County, Police: Woman accused of buying nearly $9K in clothes with stolen credit card, LMPD investigating after body found in Valley Station cemetery, Louisville co-workers share $50K after winning Ky. Lottery scratch-off, Elizabethtown high school student crowned Miss Kentucky Teen USA, LMPD addresses delay in releasing footage of teens shot by officers discharged gun. Lewisville PD. Kala Kachmar is an investigative reporter. Levontay Townes was further charged by the Grand Jury with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Police did not say whether anyone was arrested in connection with the drugs. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Metro Corrections Officers made a large drug bust while doing a home incarceration, or HIP check, which yielded drugs, guns and thousands of dollars in cash. Frequently requested statistics for: Louisville city, Kentucky; Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky An official website of the United States government Skip to main content. The defendant has previously been convicted in Jefferson County in case number 11-CR-0173-003 and in case number 10-CR-3252-001, of robbery in the second degree (two counts), possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (cocaine), and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies. Police also . Jose Prieto sought out someone with a strong business background to help him earn money to pay off the cartel. Muskegon police told reporters the number of gunshots indicatedsomeone wanted to senda message. Hallpumped the gas and struck a police car. They say during the stop, they learned one of the individuals, James Pratt, of . Lewisville police on Sunday seized nearly 600 pounds of drugs in what officers say is one of the largest drug busts they've seen in the city. Investigators said seven search warrants were obtained, resulting in the 20 arrests. ONLY ONE SUSPECT IS STILL WANTED FOLLOWING A FEDERAL DRUG BUST A 9TH PERNSO IS NOW IN CUSTODY AS PART OF A SAFE STREETS. The DEA said that just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. The only suspect who has not been arrested in Khasi Jones. These are not just red dots, these are young people that could have been more. At that time, DEA agents estimate that amount was worth about $150,000 on the West Coast, but could yield as much as $500,000 in Louisville. One suspect remains at large following a federal drug bust linked to alleged gang activity in Louisville, and which led to several arrests. Jun 11, 2021. I take her to work. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Courtney Willis, 26, a Greenhill drug ring associate, allegedly stole meth from the organization and returned to his home state of Michiganto visit family in Muskegon Heights, a three-hour drive northwest of Detroit near Lake Michigan. According to a post from LMPD's Facebook page on Thursday, police in Major Case Unit 1 . The FOPs full statement is below: FOP 77 is very proud of our Officers for their continued work in safeguarding our community. Louisville Metro Police arrest Darreal Forest on Dec. 30, 2019. ", Related:How can city slow its rampant gun violence? He later claimed the cartel torched his marijuana field as a warning and to stop him from making fast money to pay his debt. We are not taking to the street and demanding an impact to lower those (shootings)," he said. When they got out of prison, Greenhill flew to California to meet Jose Prieto. The charge carries a penalty of no less than 5 years, and no more than 40 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $5 million, and no less than 4 years of supervised release. Still, the story told by agents, defendants and prosecutors in interviews or court records reveals much about thecriminal enterprise and its deadly operation in Louisville and across the country. The search and seizure yielded a significant result for Metro Corrections, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, and the community. Several documents in the case of the Prietos and Greenhills remainsealed and some people linked to the case, including a veteran defense attorney and friends of a homicide victim, declined to be interviewed, citing the volatility of the drug ring. Though it worked for awhile, eventually WileyGreenhillstarted to run up a tab with the Prietos, according tocourt records. The single most impactful way to demonstrate that the lives of Black families, their children, and young men of color actually do matter in Louisville is to reduce murders and shootings in their neighborhoods, said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. In January of 2020, Jeffersontown Police arrested Thomas after an undercover purchase of meth. Agents persuaded judges to let them monitor drug traffickers' phones and movements. As Detective Hyche stepped toward it toarrest Goodman, a backseat passenger opened fire. It's all Krista and Nevada Gwynn wantfor theirchildren. The cartel routinely sent large shipments of meth across the border into California and from there, the Prietos coordinated the distribution across the country. The Prieto ring also is suspected offunneling a similar volume to Chicago, Atlanta,Detroit, Buffaloand cities in New Jersey, according to the DEA agent, who The Courier Journal isn't naming because of the sensitivity of his work. Our Street Crimes Unit, along with our federal and local partners, have worked tirelessly to take down this drug trafficking organization., Sheriff Keith Cain said, This investigation is yet another example of the strong relationship that exists between local law enforcement and our federal partners. Following the seizure of the narcotics in Oklahoma City, Willie Watkins was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The DEA Evansville HIDTA Resident Office is committed to working with the Owensboro Police Department and our other federal, state, and local partners to keep our communities safe by investigating and arresting violent drug traffickers. 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