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Release [print
friendly page] Multi-Agency Investigation Busts Summit County Drug Trafficking Organization MAY 30 -- (Summit County, CO) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the culmination of an investigation into five separate drug trafficking organizations that were responsible for distributing significant quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana to the citizens of Summit County. The four-month investigation identified a highly innovative criminal organization that used juvenile couriers for transportation and distribution of the drugs. The case resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals, the seizure of 1,174 grams of cocaine, 227.6 grams of methamphetamine, 262.29 grams of marijuana, $13,921.00 in U.S. Currency, 17 vehicles, two handguns, one of which was stolen. "Where there are drugs, there is crime," said Jeffrey D. Sweetin, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, “With these arrests, these criminals will no longer be able to distribute their poison and prey on the citizens of Summit County." The multi-agency coalition was spearheaded by the DEA Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) in cooperation with the Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge, and Silverthorne Police Departments, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, and the Summit County Drug Task Force. The Summit County Drug Task Force (SCDTF) was established in 1998, as a cooperative effort between all of the local law enforcement agencies in Summit County to specifically combat drug trafficking. Currently the task force is staffed by two agents, one from the Silverthorne PD and one from the Breckenridge PD, with additional support provided by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The DEA MET Team is a deployable group of highly trained special agents, task force officers, and support personnel that respond to requests for assistance by local departments to target specific organizations or problems within a community. MET Teams bring experience, manpower, and resources to assist requesting agencies and utilize investigative techniques such as sophisticated surveillance and in-depth undercover operations to infiltrate and dismantle criminal organizations. SAC Sweetin, Derek Woodman, Undersheriff of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, and Mark D. Hurlbert, District Attorney, Fifth Judicial District, announced that the members of the criminal organizations (detailed separately) were arrested by the various law enforcement agencies. Search warrants were executed at residences located at 220 La Bonte, Unit 102-104, Dillon, CO; 401 W. 4 th Street, Unit D, Silverthorne, CO; 1213 Straight Creek Drive, Dillon, CO; 592 Vail Circle, Dillon, CO; and 847 Airport Road, Trailer #8, Breckenridge, CO. The primary charges that the majority of the defendants face, are Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, Distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance, both or which are Class 3 felonies, and Conspiracy to Commit Possession and Distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. The penalties for a Class 3 felony are up to 24 years in prison, with up to a $750,000 fine. The penalties for a Class 4 felony are up to 12 years in prison, with up to a $500,000 fine. The charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty. For further information, please contact Denver Special Agent Suzanne Halonen at (303) 705-7351, or Undersheriff Derek Woodman at (970) 453-2232. The following individuals were arrested as a result of this investigation:
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