Latest news with #KevinSteele
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
35 people charged in "dismantling" of Norristown drug rings that flooded Montco with crack cocaine, DA says
July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief Thirty-five people were criminally charged Tuesday after a monthslong investigative operation targeting the drug market in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a news release. Hundreds of pages of court documents show how "Operation Cocaine Goldmine" used wiretaps, confidential informants, controlled buys and other surveillance to track three drug trafficking organizations in Norristown — the county seat — from late 2024 to June 2025. Steele said the investigation took place as opioid and fentanyl use declined, but "cocaine and crack cocaine...[experienced] a resurgence, in part due to the dramatic decline in wholesale cocaine prices." As bulk traffickers, mid-level suppliers, and street-level dealers were able to get easier access to large quantities of the drug due to the price shifts, county detectives worked with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, FBI, DEA and Norristown police on targeting networks operating in Norristown. Steele said the investigation has helped identify "intertwined networks of individuals who are most responsible for the trafficking of bulk quantities of cocaine into Montgomery County." The documents show some dealers were also involved in the illicit dealing of prescription drugs, like Klonopin and Percocet. Seven pounds of powder and crack cocaine, over $138,000 cash and 17 guns were seized during the operation. Steele said the operation and other recent arrests in shootings are "a concerted effort to rid Norristown of this criminal element that will not be tolerated in our county seat. I want to thank our state and federal partners for their ongoing assistance, especially the Attorney General's Office." Alleged ringleaders identified and charged Steele's office identified these five people as the alleged ringleaders of the three drug networks: · Terrell Bailey, 50, of Norristown · Jerome Berry, 32, of Norristown · Malik Noel, 49, of Philadelphia · Oscar Gordon, 37, of Norristown · Donta Wells, 40, of Norristown All of those five have been arrested and charged. Warrants have been issued for seven other people: Denise Baird, Darnell Cotton, Tyya Griffin, Tyleek Lee, Michael Taylor, Curtis Thomas and Cori Wagner.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Montco, Buck County see declines in fatal drug overdoses. Numbers follow national trends
Fatal drug overdoses in Montgomery County saw dramatic decline last year, dropping to their lowest level in more than a decade, a trend mirrored nationally, according to statistics. District Attorney Kevin Steele and Coroner Dr. Janine Darby announced deaths in the county fell from 190 in 2023 to 139 last year, the lowest number since 2011, according to a press release. The nearly 27% is the steepest one-year decline following a peak of 257 overdose deaths in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over five years, deaths in the county have dropped 46%, according to county data. More Bucks County News Warminster man accused in drug OD death sees his charges proceed to county court Bucks County has also seen a dramatic drop in overdose deaths over the last five years, data shows. Coroner Patti Campi said the unofficial overdose count for 2024 was 115 with a few pending results waiting to be returned. That is a nearly half the number in 2020, when there were 214 overdose deaths. Most of those deaths were among people between 25 and 44 years old, which accounted for 34% and 25% of deaths respectively, according to Overdose Free Pa. Fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine were the most frequently identified substances cited in deaths. The decline in overdose deaths in Bucks and Montgomery counties appears to follow a national trend. The Centers for Disease Control last year reported provisional data from its National Center for Health Statistics showed an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023 — a decrease of 3% from 2022. This change was the first year-over-year decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018. Montgomery County DA Steele noted in the press release the steps his office has taken to reduce deaths including working with the county to equip all police cars with the opioid reversal drug Naloxone. Steele has also worked to place MedReturn boxes in nearly all police departments in the county in order to collect unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications and organized Drug Take Back Days twice a year. 'Far too many families in Montgomery County have suffered the unbearable loss of having a loved one die from overdose,' Steele said. 'And while I'm happy to see the overdose deaths go down significantly in 2024, it's still too many families who have lost a loved one.' Other factors that have contributed to the falling death rates is the changing nature of street drugs, officials said. The Drug Enforcement Agency has said tests show the potency of fentanyl pills out of Mexican cartels has fallen. Montgomery County has also seen an increase in other street drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine, officials said. Darby called the decline encouraging, but that 'every loss is still one too many.' 'As coroner, I see firsthand the toll that overdose deaths take on families,' she said. 'We must continue working together—through education, prevention, and support—to save lives and keep this momentum going." Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@ This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Montco drug overdose deaths drop to lowest level in more than a decade
Epoch Times
02-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Florida Legislature Passes Bill to Criminalize Weather Modification Activities
The Florida Legislature became the first in the nation to pass a bill criminalizing methods of weather modification and bioengineering activities such as cloud seeding. Any person caught doing so would be charged with a third-degree felony, punishable with up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. All funds collected through the enforcement of this new law would be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Trust Fund and would be strictly used for air pollution control purposes. The language of the bill accounts for both private individuals and corporate entities, and ensures that a general report line will be open for any person to submit via email. All operators of public infrastructure, like airports, will be required to submit monthly reports on weather modification or geoeingeneering to the Department of Transportation beginning Oct. 1. The bill was championed by state Rep. Kevin Steele and state Sen. Ileana Garcia, in their respective chambers. Both are Republicans. The legislation passed in the state Senate with a vote of 28–9 on April 3, and the state House on April 30 by a vote of 82–28. Steele published a Related Stories 4/5/2024 3/1/2024 Cloud seeding involves dispensing heavy metals such as silver iodide into the atmosphere to induce precipitation, and solar radiation modification, or solar geoengineering, is the process of using heavy metals such as sulfur dioxide to reflect more of the sun's rays back into space in an effort to curb global warming. 'Heavy metals, which are found in weather modification patents, can have severe effects on human health when ingested, inhaled, or touches our skin,' the fact sheet stated. Those possible effects include kidney damage, liver cancer, neurological damage, autism, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and immune system dysfunction. Several states on both sides of the political aisle already allow or even fund weather modification, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming. At the same time, other states including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, and Tennessee have already taken measures to ban or restrict it. The Epoch Times has reached out to both Garcia and Steele for comment. The news of the bill's passage was celebrated on social media platform X, including by a grassroots coalition called the Global Wellness Forum. 'Florida is sending a loud and clear message: we will protect our skies and we will not allow corporate interests, climate change interventionists, or covert operations to tamper with our atmosphere or pollute our environment,' the group
