Phillip Quinn was yesterday convicted of supplying pal Michael Neave with crack cocaine during a swoop on drug dealers.

Phillip Quinn was yesterday convicted of supplying pal Michael Neave with crack cocaine during a swoop on drug dealers.Neave called Quinn, 41, and arranged to buy some of the highly addictive drug for a supposed user, who unbeknown to either of them was a undercover policeman.The conversation was recorded on a secret wire and the officer drove to Quinn's home in Sheriff Street, Hartlepool.The policeman watched as Neave and Quinn climbed into a car before Neave returned with a £20 wrap of crack cocaine.Quinn denied selling him the drug and claimed Neave must have had it already or got it from somewhere else.But a jury of eight women and four men at Teesside Crown Court took just over 30 minutes to unanimously find him guilty of the offence.The court earlier heard Neave complained after buying the drug how he had difficulty opening the wrap because of the way it had been tightly tied.
He referred to Quinn as "Philly 50 Knots".The deal took place in Sheriff Street on November 9 last year during Cleveland Police's Operation Beckford and Quinn was arrested when officers searched his house on May 1.Neave, 42, of Waverley Terrace, Hartlepool, who Quinn had known since their schooldays, was sentenced to three years in prison in September.He had admitted 27 counts of supplying Class A drugs, including the crack cocaine sold to Quinn, between September 26 and November 14 last year.Quinn was remanded in custody until he is sentenced on a date still to be fixed.

Liaquet Ali was not the “architect or planner” of the drugs plot which could have brought more than £500,000 worth of skunk cannabis onto the streets.

Liaquet Ali was not the “architect or planner” of the drugs plot which could have brought more than £500,000 worth of skunk cannabis onto the streets.Defence barrister Balbir Singh said 50-year-old Ali was used by others as a “front” in order to secure the lease of the premises they had chosen for the large-scale operation - the former Probation Service office building in Longlands Road, Middlesbrough.
Mr Singh said his client was initially unaware of what the building would be used for until the papers were signed.“He became aware, of course,” said Mr Singh. “But he never, ever visited the Longlands after the cannabis farm was set up.”
His three co-conspirators were sentenced two weeks ago.Organiser Shafiq Aziz, 39, of Fountains Drive, Acklam, was jailed for three years.Damion Clenaghan, 23, of Cobham Street, was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 200 hours’ unpaid work for his role as “errand boy”.Kaleem Khan aka Kevin Felton, 26, of Lothian Road, was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 300 hours’ unpaid work for being the group’s “patsy”.Ali, of Clifton Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce the Class C drug of cannabis - the same charge faced by his three co-conspirators.Judge Peter Armstrong gave Ali a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and 300 hours’ unpaid work.He said: “In 2007 or thereabouts, having led a hard-working life in the steel industry and as a taxi driver, I think you attempted and got a little greedy by the possible rewards from this scheme.“But this scheme was not of your making. You were not the organiser of it, you were not the architect. This was a foolish episode in your life.”The court heard Ali made no financial benefit from the conspiracy.The former Probation Service was raided in a major police operation on May 21 last year.The four-storey property had been converted into a cannabis factory. Rooms were filled with plants as well as ducting, cabling, fans, hoses, a ventilation system, heat lights suspended by wires, transformers and timers.
Officers seized 2,136 cannabis plants at various stages of growth and about 2,000 root sections from plants.A “conservative estimate” put the crops’ potential yield at 50kg, worth more than £500,000.

Thai police arrested Kuo Te-tsai, 42, in the southern beach town of Phuket

Thai police arrested Kuo Te-tsai, 42, in the southern beach town of Phuket on Sunday, said Lt. Gen. Priewphan Damaphong, Thailand's deputy national police chief. Police also arrested a Thai accomplice, Phongthat Pongsathirsakul, he said.
Police moved in to make the arrests after receiving information that the heroin would be shipped out of Thailand to Western countries in the coming days, he said.
Police found 229 pounds of heroin pressed into 261 bars and stuffed into cylinders hidden beneath the cement floors of a house Kuo was renting, Priewphan told a news conference. The confiscated heroin has a local value of more than US$2.9 million, a Thai police statement said, adding that its street value abroad would be about 10 times that amount, or US$29 million. "This heroin had come from the Golden Triangle and was going to be shipped to Taiwan before going to markets in Western countries," Priewphan said. The Golden Triangle is a heroin-producing area where the borders of Burma, Laos and Thailand converge. The US Drug Enforcement Administration had been tracking Kuo and alerted Thai authorities in August that he had entered the country, Priewphan said. DEA official Andre W. Kellum said he could not elaborate on the heroin's destination since the investigation was ongoing. The case is "very significant because a kilo of heroin on the streets of America goes for a great deal of money," he told the news conference.
Drug trafficking in Thailand is punishable by death.

Charles Bernhardt and Tyronne Greir, are charged with felony drug charges

Charles Bernhardt, 43, of McKean Street in Philadelphia and Tyronne Greir, 38, with no fixed address, are charged with felony drug charges, the degree of which a judge must decide in court, according to court records. District Judge John Kelly sent both men to Bucks County prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19 in the district court of Joseph Falcone in Bensalem. Monday's bust follows a car stop last month in Bensalem during which police said they recovered $350,000 worth of black tar heroin normally produced in Mexico and $82,000 in cash.That case, against Philadelphia residents Jose Francisco Zacarias Pena, 28, and Giselle Lozada, 25, is pending. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

David Charles McCormick,admitted to Furness magistrates yesterday that on September 29 he was in possession of heroin.

David Charles McCormick, 33, of no fixed abode, admitted to Furness magistrates yesterday that on September 29 he was in possession of heroin.Mr Lee Dacre, prosecuting, said police received a report of a man behaving suspiciously in Ladbrokes at around 6.50pm.Officers attended and spoke to the man, before taking him outside. They searched him and found a wrap of brown powder and he ran away.
Mr Dacre said officers pursued McCormick and he threw away silver foil, which was recovered and found to have stain marks on it.Mr Dacre added: “He made a full and frank admission and said he was a long-term heroin user and had bought separate one-gram deals for £25 each and smoked some of the heroin that day.”Mr Michael Graham, defending, told the court that McCormick had some personal difficulties and reverted to old habits.He was under the impression that the only assistance available to him was a methadone programme, and he refused to take that because he felt it was too addictive.McCormick also pleaded guilty to two breaches of bail and Mr Graham explained that he suffered a form of arthritis that affected every joint in his body, which made it very difficult to attend morning appointments.Sentencing McCormick to 120 days in prison, presiding magistrate John Jones said: “You have had many opportunities to work with the court and other agencies, but you have failed to do so and failed to co-operate with court orders.”He was also sentenced to seven days in prison for each of the bail breaches.

Justin P. Morin, sold UMass student Darby Fassett five bags of "American Gangster" heroin

Justin P. Morin, 21, of 20 Jackson St., sold UMass student Darby Fassett five bags of "American Gangster" heroin on the day before Fassett was found overdosed in his Hadley home, according to police. Fassett was rushed to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton where he was declared dead on arrival. Although Morin was charged with distribution of heroin in Northampton District Court, a Hampshire County grand jury found that there is sufficient evidence to indict him for involuntary manslaughter.

Harvishal Kler, 23, and Bakshish Ghai, 22, are charged with conspiracy to import heroin into Canada.

Harvishal Kler, 23, and Bakshish Ghai, 22, are charged with conspiracy to import heroin into Canada. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Manjit Dhanoa, 31.Two Brampton men are facing charges and police are looking for another in connection with a heroin importation and distribution gang that was smuggling the drug in through Pearson International Airport.The RCMP's Toronto Airport General Investigation Impact Team say they've dealt the ring a blow this week with the arrests.Three men are alleged to be part of a criminal organization that used human couriers to smuggle heroin through the airport and then distribute the drugs to North American markets. Police say the group recruited couriers and arranged for their travel to a number of South Asian countries to pick up heroin for delivery to Canada.Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at Pearson were instrumental in the interception of couriers and a total of 12.8 kilograms of heroin was seized."This group stood to make a significant profit at great expense to the health and well being of our citizens" said RCMP Inspector Dean Dickson, officer in charge of the Toronto airport detachment. "It takes the kind of partnerships seen in this investigation to effectively combat criminal enterprise and protect our communities".

Waltiko Q. Fludd,reported Monday to begin serving a five- to seven-year state prison sentence

Waltiko Q. Fludd, 32, of 6 Inglewood St., reported Monday to begin serving a five- to seven-year state prison sentence. He pleaded guilty Oct. 22 to three counts of trafficking in cocaine. A co-defendant, Gary A. Gaulin Jr., of 67 Cochran St., Chicopee, was sentenced on Oct. 1 to an eight-year prison term after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine. The state dropped prosecution of Irving A. Ramsey, of 50 Hartley St., who had been arrested with Gaulin and Fludd. The three were arrested by undercover narcotics detectives on Oct. 2, 2007, at 1177 Boston Road. Fludd was charged with trafficking cocaine on different dates in September and October of 2007.

Annette Penfield Agents found 46 packages of cocaine weighing 81 pounds.

Annette Penfield of Petersburg, Va., was stopped about 9:30 p.m. Sunday after crossing the Gateway International Bridge from Mexico. Customs officers noticed discrepancies in the trunk of the 1996 BMW she was driving and a drug-sniffing dog alerted them to the scent of cocaine. Agents found 46 packages of cocaine weighing 81 pounds.

Robert Young, 60, the South Florida drug smuggler, best known for his role as triggerman in the 1987 slaying of speedboat king Don Aronow,

Robert Young, 60, the South Florida drug smuggler, best known for his role as triggerman in the 1987 slaying of speedboat king Don Aronow, will likely spend the rest of his life in a federal prison.Young's previous three murder convictions, including Aronow's, were more than 20 years ago, court records show. None of the convictions landed him in prison for more than a few years.This conviction carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and prosecutors could seek life.
Last week's trial was unusual because federal prosecutor Donald Chase accused Young of possessing a Norinco Sporter 7.62 semi-automatic rifle in 2002, when he was serving a 10-year federal sentence on a previous firearms conviction.
Chase told jurors Young maintained control and ownership of the weapon, though he left it with an associate prior to his October 2001 arrest."That's a new one," Young's attorney Paul Donnelly said in closing arguments. "He didn't have control. He didn't have possession. He didn't have access to it."But Chase countered Young discussed the gun in several phone calls he placed from prison, and wanted it used to execute his brother-in-law, who he thought was cooperating with law enforcement.Young's motive was simple, Chase stated in closing arguments: "He had a credo. 'You talk, you die.'"According to testimony at trial, Young ran a drug-trafficking organization, importing cocaine from Central and South America in a hidden compartment on his sailboat. Young obtained the Norinco rifle to protect a shipment of $1.2 million of drug proceeds headed to Guatemala, witnesses said.
In a 2004 interview with federal agents, Young admitted owning the gun but denied wanting his ex-wife's brother dead. He said he wanted the gun planted on Roderick "Rickie" Mudrie, a convicted felon, so he would be arrested.To convict, the jury had to agree Young kept possession of the gun in a legal sense through June 2002."I believe the jury blew it," Donnelly said of the verdict.

Gregorio A. Messina was arrested along with eight others during an investigation of a major drug trafficking ring

Gregorio A. Messina, 43, pleaded guilty more than a year ago to cocaine possession with intent to distribute and criminal conspiracy. He was sentenced to five years probation on each of the crimes and fined $5,000, according to court papers.
Messina was arrested along with eight others during an investigation of a major drug trafficking ring, the Cirilo “Primo” Lumbrano Corrupt Organization.After wiretapping cell phones, and aided by Spanish-language interpreters, authorities learned the organizational structure of the drug ring and the roles of its various members, and cracked the group.Police also conducted physical surveillance. Most of the suspects were Mexican nationals in the country illegally.Law enforcement authorities followed Lumbrano, who is now 31, to Atlanta, Ga., where he allegedly met with a cocaine supplier, then followed him as he drove back to the local area. He was stopped in Plymouth Township on March 4, 2007.While searching Lumbrano’s car, authorities found a one-kilogram block of cocaine, having a retail value in excess of $100,000, inside the vehicle’s spare tire.Authorities surmised the hiding place after discovering several slashed tires in the closets of residences occupied by some of the drug ring members.Among the items seized as a result of the execution of search warrants for nine locations and five vehicles were: another half-kilogram of cocaine; scales; cocaine packaging materials; a .22-caliber rifle; two shotguns; three handguns; ammunition; a riot helmet; and some $5,000 in cash.Also confiscated were two Nissan Maximas, a Chevrolet Suburban and a Nissan Titan.The breakup of the ring began after police received information in January 2007 from confidential informants about a local cocaine supplier nicknamed “Primo,” according to the criminal complaint.
Though authorities were targeting Lumbrano, Messina was caught with cocaine bought from the gang to give to someone else, according to Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Tonya Lupinacci, who prosecuted the case.“He bought an ounce of cocaine,” she said. “It’s a significant amount of (the drug).”
Messina, who is a United States citizen, owns a landscaping business in North Wales. He was the last of nine defendants to be sentenced, according to Lupinacci.Lumbrano, a former resident of the 1300 block of Markley Street, pleaded guilty in March to six felony charges of possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver and a seventh felony charge of conspiracy. The admitted ringleader of the drug operation, he was sentenced in June to eight to 20 years in state prison.In August, Lumbrano complained his sentence was too harsh and asked to have the sentence reduced and wanted to withdraw his guilty plea.Also last summer, Luis Omar Bauza, 22, a West Airy Street resident in Norristown, was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months behind bars.
Another Norristown man, Israel Valente-Trujillo, 28, who lives on Cherry Street, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served to 23 months in the county prison.
Other drug ring defendants received probationary sentences