narcotics

Published on: December 2, 2017

Lynwood Doctor Fighting Federal Accusations of Drug Dealing to Patients

From July 2011 through July 2014 a Lynwood physician allegedly prescribed narcotic prescriptions in large amounts and accepted cash payments for the transactions. The patients receiving the medication did not receive regular examinations and it is suspected that many of them did not have a medical need for the pills. He is accused of using his practice to make illegal drug deals.

Dr. Edward Ridgill has been accused of prescribing and selling considerable amounts of Norco, Xanax and Soma pills, which are dubbed the “trinity” by drug users due to the high achieved by consuming the opiate, sedative and muscle relaxer at the same time. It is reported that he handed out over 21,000 prescriptions during a three year period.

A DEA task force began an investigation on Ridgill employing anonymous sources who made appointments with the doctor and were fitted with surveillance cameras hidden inside of cups, buttons, hats and purses prior to their visits. The collected videos depicted the visits of the undercover mock patients where Ridgill prescribed and accepted cash payment for the drugs, and in some cases no examination was performed. Expert review of the videos and patient files raised enough suspicion to warrant charging 65-year-old Ridgill with several counts of illegal distribution.

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Published on: August 30, 2017

Woman Arrested for Alleged Psychedelic Mushroom Grow Operation

by Staycie R. Sena

32-year-old Jerilee Hughes was arrested after the Northwest Narcotics Task Force searched her home and found glass jars with psilocybin mushroom spores and growing supplies, as well as a small bag of useable mushrooms. Police also procured small amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine as well as residue-coated paraphernalia.

Hughes faces two felony and five misdemeanor drug related charges. During her bond hearing, the prosecuting attorney accused Hughes of cultivating enough mushrooms to consider her a danger to the community. She is being held on $10,000 bond.

Due to financial hardship, Hughes, who alleges she has never before been implicated in legal issues, asked for a lower bond. She willingly offered to participate if a stipulation was added where she take part in regular drug testing.

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Published on: March 16, 2017

8 Year Old Boy Overdoses on his Parents’ Heroin

by Staycie R. Sena

The parents of an 8 year old boy have been charged with child endangerment after their son survived an overdose of heroin last month, according to police.

On January 11th the police responded to a call of a child not breathing at a home in a suburb of southwest Cleveland, Ohio. They found the boy unresponsive in the living room with his father doing chest compressions on him. The boy was transported to the hospital after an officer found a pulse. The parents, Charles Dowdy and Danielle Simko are suspected of narcotics use after drugs and syringes were found on the property, the police report stated.

The father had told police that he and the mother were in bed with their son when he noticed that the child’s lips were turning blue.

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Published on: December 13, 2016

15 Meat Factory Workers Charged With Food Stamp Fraud

by Staycie R. Sena

As a result of a food stamp fraud program ran by three sheriffs in Butler county, Ohio, 15 employees of two meat distributing companies were indicted in September for charges of illegally trading food stamp benefits for cash and narcotics, while many more also potentially face penalties.

The 15 employees of US Beef Cincinnati LLC and Butcher Shop Food Distributors LLC face charges of wire fraud, food stamp benefits fraud, theft of U.S. government property, money laundering and possession with intent to distribute and actual distribution of controlled substances.

The owners of US Beef, 45-year old Scott Traum and 43-year old Joey Traum, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to charges arising from their involvement in food stamp fraud. Both will be sentenced April 12.

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