Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Page 7
National multiagency investigation nets 74 tons of drugs
Seizure of more than
74.1 tons of illegal drugs and
the arrests of 2,266 persons
on narcotics-related charges
in 18 states were announced
late last week.
The drugs and arrests
were part of a 22-month mul-
tiagency law enforcement
investigation, “Project Deliv-
erance.” The announcement
was made by Michele M.
Leonhart, acting administra-
tor of the federal Drug En-
forcement Agency (DEA),
and U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder.
Some 429 of the arrests
took place in 15 states on
Wednesday, June 9, as part of
“Project Deliverance.” It tar-
geted the transportation infra-
structure of Mexican drug
trafficking organizations in
the United States, especially
along the southwest border,
through coordination between
federal, state, county and city
law enforcement personnel.
More than 3,000 agents
and officers went into action
across the country to make
the arrests. Also, during that
enforcement action, law en-
forcement agents seized $5.8
million cash, 17 pounds of
methamphetamine, 112 kilo-
grams of cocaine, 2,951
pounds of marijuana, 141
weapons and 85 vehicles.
Besides 2,266 arrests,
overall, the project in 18
states has led to seizure of
around $154 million in cash,
and approximately 1,262
pounds of methamphetamine,
2.5 tons of cocaine, 1,410
pounds of heroin, and 69 tons
of marijuana. Also, 501
weapons and 527 vehicles
during the entire course of the
operation.
AG announces anonymous ‘hate crime line’
A new online “hate
crime” reporting form has
been unveiled by Oregon
Attorney General John
Kroger as part of a broad ef-
fort “to protect the civil rights
of all Oregonians.”
“It’s crucially important
that people feel safe to report
hate crimes,” he said. “This
new online reporting system
will give us a better handle on
the scope of the problem.”
Kroger also said that he’s
working on a report to docu-
ment hate crime incidents
during the past few years.
The new form can be
found on the Oregon Dept. of
Justice (DOJ) Website. The
Criminal Justice Division will
review the complaints, make
follow-up calls and determine
whether to refer the cases to
other law enforcement agen-
cies for investigation and
prosecution.
DOJ also will use the
information to analyze trends.
The new form is not a
(Editor’s Note: Factual
information for ‘Blotter’ is
provided by official law en-
forcement agencies. All per-
sons listed are innocent until
proven guilty in a court of
law. Charges can be
amended or dismissed.)
* * *
Thursday, June 3
*Angry because he was
awakened to go to school, a 14-
year-old boy on Kerby Avenue
was “out of control,” according
to his sister.
*Gregory Wayne Sam-
pley, 57, was cited on a charge
of violation of a city ordinance
prohibiting consumption of
alcohol on public premises on
S. Redwood Hwy. at 1:38 p.m.
*The city of Cave Junc-
tion asked for a welfare check
of elderly Millie Street resi-
dents, as recent recorded water
use was zero. The home owner
advised he and his wife no
longer live there.
*A N. Junction Avenue
resident said that her estranged
husband entered her home and
took her rent money.
*On W. River Street a
woman complained that her
son took paperwork that does-
n’t belong to him.
*Theft of firearms from a
Rockydale Road residence was
reported.
Friday, June 4
*Two extremely wooly
sheep with horns were loose in
the 2000 block of Dick George
Road, a caller stated at 10:51
a.m.
*Justin Harvey Dale
Metcalf, 29, was cited on a
charge of speeding (61 mph in
45 mph zone) on N. Redwood
Hwy. near Cave Junction at
7:34 p.m.
Following are alarms to
which Illinois Valley Fire Dis-
trict responded through Sun-
day, June 13:
Monday, June 7
*10:56 p.m., motor vehi-
cle collision, 16000 block
Caves Hwy.
Tuesday, June 8
*2:26 a.m., outdoor smoke
investigation, 200 block
Schumacher
*6:31 p.m., motor vehicle
collision, 1000 block Thomp-
son Creek Road
Wednesday, June 9
*11:35 a.m., Medical As-
substitute for reporting hate
crime to city, county, state or
federal law enforcement
agencies. It is designed for
people who have concerns
about their safety and to bet-
ter track the incidence of hate
crimes in Oregon.
Persons who experience
or witness a hate crime
should immediately phone
911. And victims should still
report them to the law en-
forcement agency where they
live. The complaint forms are
public records, although they
have a box that can be
checked to seek confidential-
ity. DOJ “will do what it can
to respect that confidentiality
to the extent that the law al-
lows,” Kroger said.
He campaigned for office
in 2008 on a pledge to create
a civil rights unit at the state
DOJ. The 2009 Legislature
approved funding for the unit.
Counterfeiters nabbed by GPDPS
Between June 4 and 6,
officers from the Grants Pass
Dept. of Public Safety re-
ceived several reports of
counterfeit $20 bills being
used at businesses in the city.
On Monday, June 7, de-
tectives contacted John Fish,
and Kenneth McGee, both
31, at 610 S.E. Riverside
Ave. in Grants Pass, where
they live. They were arrested
and taken to Josephine
County Jail in Grants Pass.
Fish was charged with
numerous counts of first-
degree forgery, attempted
first-degree forgery, and four
counts of third-degree theft.
McGee was charged the
same, except for two counts
of third-degree theft.
The bills that were
passed were all $20 bills with
the same serial number. Busi-
nesses that received the bills:
Cody’s Place, Dollar
Tree, Alibi Tavern, Bridge
Street Market, and M Street
Market. After further investi-
gation, it was determined that
there were other businesses
where the bills were passed
that might be unaware of the
counterfeit currency.
Additional charges
against the suspects will be
referred to the district attor-
ney after the other businesses
are contacted.
Any businesses in the
area that believe they may
have received a counterfeit
bill; and anyone who might
have information pertinent to
the investigation, is asked to
phone 541-474-6370.
*Warren
Benton
McCrary, 38, was cited in the
24000 block of Redwood Hwy.
on a charge of driving unin-
sured at 7:44 p.m.
*James Anthony Davis,
69, was cited on a charge of
speeding (65 mph in a 45 mph
zone) on Redwood Hwy. at
Laurel Road at 7:47 p.m.
*On Kerby Avenue a resi-
dent complained of telephonic
harassment.
*Michelle E. Stewart, 40,
was cited on a charge of no
valid operator permit on Red-
wood Hwy. in Downtown
Cave Junction at 9:52 p.m.
*A driver reported striking
a raccoon with his vehicle on
Westside Road, causing dam-
age to the front bumper, fog
lights and radiator. He was
making a report for insurance
purposes.
Saturday, June 5
*Two people were cited
on charges of failure to use seat
belts on S. Redwood Hwy. at
8:15 a.m.
*Paul E. White, 61, was
cited on a charge of failure to
use a seat belt on S. Redwood
Hwy. in Cave Junction.
*In the 20000 block of
Redwood Hwy. at 9:31 a.m.,
Thomas Andrew Greco, 58,
was cited on a charge of speed-
ing.
*Susan Louise Palleson,
18, was cited on a charge of
speeding (72 mph in a 55 mph
zone) on Redwood Hwy. at
Eight Dollar Mountain Road at
10 a.m.
*On Holland Loop some-
one complained about harass-
ing phone calls from a Grants
Pass-area cell phone.
*No gun shot was heard,
just a “thump,” a complainant
said, when the rear window of
a vehicle parked at Ray’s Food
Place in Selma was shot out
around 6:20 p.m.
*A report for felony elud-
ing, reckless driving, endanger-
ment and possession of a con-
trolled
substance
(methamphetamine) was to be
filed following a chase on
Westside and Turner roads
around 8:30 p.m. The driver of
the tan-and-maroon Chevrolet
Tahoe in question fled.
Sunday, June 6
*In Kerby a tenant stated
that some animals were miss-
ing from her residence. She
thought her landlord might
have taken them.
*Two more rural Illinois
Valley residents complained of
harassing, obscene phone calls
from the same Grants Pass
number from which others
reported receiving calls.
*A home owner on Robin-
son Corner Road said that his
residence and fruit trees were
damaged as a result of a
“huge” party. A criminal mis-
chief report was initiated.
*Someone reported that a
woman with a possible mental
issue was screaming at a shop-
ping cart in the 400 block of S.
Redwood Hwy. The woman’s
caretaker was contacted.
Monday, June 7
*In Takilma a property
owner stated that a cable gate
had been cut. She was con-
cerned that people who want to
mine on the mountain behind
her home were trying to gain
access across her land.
*A Selma resident
claimed that her identity was
used fraudulently to purchase
some $7,000 worth of com-
puter equipment.
*Former tenants were
removing fencing at a Hogue
Drive location, a citizen said.
*An intoxicated woman
was asked to leave after she
was found eating unpaid-for
food in the produce aisle at
Shop Smart Food Warehouse.
In response, she knocked an
employee’s eyeglasses off his
face and spat at him. She was
warned against trespassing.
sist (M.A.), 500 block River
Street
*11:44 a.m., mutual aid
powerline problem, 2000 block
Riverbanks Road
*12:45 p.m., assist the
public - traffic control, 1000
block Deer Creek Road
*5:32 p.m., M.A., 8000
block Takilma Road
Thursday, June 10
*7:31 a.m., motor vehicle
collision, Hanby Lane/
Redwood Hwy.
*10:19 a.m., M.A., 400
block Redwood Hwy.
*9:35 p.m., open burn,
100 block Hogue Drive
Friday, June 11
*3:20 p.m., M.A., 100
block Deer Creek Road
*11:18 p.m., M.A., land-
ing zone, 200 block Redwood
Hwy.
Saturday, June 12
*4:33 p.m., grass fire,
1000 block Eight Dollar Moun-
tain Road
Sunday, June 13
*8:02 a.m., M.A., 100
block Airport Drive
*2:04 p.m., M.A., 9000
block Illinois River Road
*6:24 p.m., M.A., 200
block Honeybee Lane
States in which agents
took action were Arizona,
California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Maryland,
Missouri, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, New York, N.
Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ten-
nessee, Texas, Virginia, and
Washington.
“This interagency, cross-
border operation has been our
most extensive, and most
successful, law enforcement
effort to date targeting these
deadly cartels, and it is a di-
rect result of our continuing
Southwest Border Strategy,”
said Holder. “But this suc-
cessful operation is just one
battle in a continuing war.
“So long as cartels and
smugglers attempt to wreak
havoc on our borders, we will
continue to target them with
every resource available to
the federal government. This
administration, working with
law enforcement at all levels,
as well as our international
partners, is committed to de-
feating these cartels, and we
have proven the power of
strong collaboration and coor-
dination to achieve the goal.”
Leonhart added that Pro-
ject Deliverance “inflicted a
debilitating blow to the net-
work of shadow facilitators
and transportation cells con-
trolled by the major Mexican
drug cartels. Deliverance con-
tinues a deliberate and strate-
gic effort to cut off and shut
down the supply of drugs
entering our country, and the
flow of drug profits and guns
to Mexico.
“The stakes are extraor-
dinarily high, and this mas-
sive operation is a milestone
in our tireless assault on these
violent drug cartels,” she said.