By Cornelius Frolik, Staff Writer BUTLER COUNTY — Crystal meth has made a deadly comeback in the region at a time when the opioid epidemic already is responsible for an alarmingly high body count.Last year, methamphetamine appeared as a factor in the cause of death statements for eight people in Butler County, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office. This year so far there have been 12 such cases.Heroin overdose cases are down, but meth usage is on the rise, officials say. FIRST REPORT: Heroin overdoses are down in Middletown, but a new drug is on the rise Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser told our news partner WCPO that users are recognizing the higher risk of death from fentanyl-laced heroin and turning to an alternative. "An awareness grew in the drug culture,” said Gmoser, “The user community started to realize that their chance of dying from fentanyl-laced heroin was increasing exponentially."“The users … [Read more...] about Meth makes deadly comeback in Butler County
Medical meth
Rosario: The costly medical plight of a prison inmate leads to an intriguing lawsuit
Anthony Joseph Tenerelli — Inmate No. 33344-112 at the federal prison medical facility lockup in Rochester, Minn. — and I have something in common. That’s about the only thing we share. I don’t have a rap sheet. He does — multiple assault and criminal sexual conduct convictions dating back to the 1990s. The most recent? A 2008 meth trafficking and gun possession conviction that will keep him behind bars until at least 2027. Also, I have paid for my treatments through employer-subsidized health insurance and substantial out-of-pocket costs that have run well into the six figures in the past seven years. The cost of Tenerelli’s ongoing medical care and treatments at the prison medical facility and the nearby Mayo Clinic is being picked up by taxpayers. But here’s the rub: I was initially diagnosed with possible MM the same day I went to urgent care with stabbing pains in my back and torso. The fractured spinal vertebrae and malignant plasma … [Read more...] about Rosario: The costly medical plight of a prison inmate leads to an intriguing lawsuit
Jury deliberates verdict in El Paso County execution of bungling meth dealer
0 View Gallery An El Paso County jury on Monday began deliberating the fate of one of three men tied to the April 2017 execution of a bungling meth dealer who was shot 14 times - allegedly for making one mistake too many. Prosecutors said Jorge "Bird" Galvan-Flores ordered the killing of Lawrence Gloster II and served as one of three gunmen. "Keep your eyes on the Bird," prosecutor Brien Cecil told the panel during closing arguments, describing the defendant as the head of a local meth ring who had tired of Gloster's frequent mistakes on the job, including a botched drug deal in which Gloster lost nearly a half-ounce of meth by inadvertently dropping it into a customer's lap. Related: Mennonite investigator in Colorado who refused to testify to be freed Public defender Kelly McCullough called Galvan-Flores a "fall guy" falsely implicated by his teenage nephew, whom she said lied to protect his own involvement. She alleged that the boy and a friend, both 15 at the time, … [Read more...] about Jury deliberates verdict in El Paso County execution of bungling meth dealer
New Mexico Woman Blames ‘Medical Meth’ for Failed Drug Test
A New Mexico woman who allegedly faked a prescription to hoodwink her probation officer after failing a drug test said she failed it because of “medical meth.” Authorities arrested and charged Ginger Sharpe, 34, with additional counts of forgery and identity theft after she pleaded guilty to forgery charges in 2017, the Albuquerque Journal reported.When Sharpe tested positive for drugs in February, she allegedly told her probation officer her doctor prescribed her methamphetamine and showed them a pill bottle with a label that read “methamphetamine 5 mg tablets.” She told the parole officer that a doctor in Farmington prescribed her the illegal drug, but the officer did not buy her excuse, KOB 4 News reported.Authorities said the “fuzzy lettering” on the falsified pill label led them to believe the prescription was fake. Police say Sharpe was charged with identity theft because falsifying her doctor’s name could have caused damage to … [Read more...] about New Mexico Woman Blames ‘Medical Meth’ for Failed Drug Test
Minnesota cops seize more meth, prescription pills in 2017
Published 9:52 am, Thursday, March 1, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota authorities saw notable increases in the amount of meth, prescription pills, heroin and marijuana they took off the street last year. Data provided Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says more than 214,000 prescription pills were seized by drug and gang investigators in 2017. That's up from nearly 59,000 pills in 2016. The huge increase includes at least one significant seizure of more than 100,000 pills. But authorities are also seeing other drugs in greater quantities. They seized about 625 pounds of meth in 2017, up from 488 pounds a year earlier. Local Channel Now Playing: Now Playing FBI joins search for missing S.A. girl San Antonio Express-News Good Samaritan stops erratic driver in S.A. Deandre Lewis/@bannas24 Sheriff: Wife, kids rushed out of S.A.-area home before gunfire San Antonio Express-News Police: 2 arrested after teen shot in S.A. … [Read more...] about Minnesota cops seize more meth, prescription pills in 2017