Minnesota Criminals

The Mankato Free Press recently ran a story about a homeowner who was stealing electricity from a grain storage facility between Mapleton and Minnesota Lake. It seems that the nearby homeowner ran a line from their house to the facility because back in September 2006 their electricity was shut off for non-payment to the electric company.

Here is where the story gets good. When police searched the house, they found a methamphetamine lab in the house along with processed methamphetamine. The three people were arrested on felony first-degree drug manufacturing charges and felony fifth degree drug possession.

The moral of the story is – if you are cooking meth in your house – pay your electric bill! And by all means don’t run a loose wire to a nearby facility where the police can track you down.

Chalk one up for the good guys for catching another stupid criminal .

Illegal drug use and arrests have stayed about the same in Minnesota according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) . In 2005, the number of people arrested in Minnesota for illegal drug use was at its peak at 292 arrests. The last two years this number has decreased steadily from 272 in 2006 to 258 in 2007.

In 2007, marijuana and cocaine were the most drugs seized in Minnesota by the DEA. Twenty-five meth lab incidents were also reported last year. The DEA reports that in Minnesota, Mexican traffickers that include both Mexican groups and street gangs such as the Latin Kings control the transportation, distribution and bulk sales of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and black tar heroin. Independent African American gangs mostly distribute crack cocaine.

The DEA also found that in outlying areas of the state, independent Caucasian groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs distribute methamphetamine in small quantities. Other drugs and pharmaceuticals such as OxyContin® and Vicodin® continue to be a problem in Minnesota. Primary methods of distribution are illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers as well as “doctor shopping. Club drugs including MDMA (ecstasy) are most prevalent in Minneapolis’ gay population, and to a lesser extent, among young people at raves and nightclubs in suburban areas.

Mexican drug trafficking organizations ship marijuana into the state. Hispanic street gangs control the distribution at the retail level. However, marijuana is also available from local cultivators.

Local law enforcement agencies and the DEA are fighting illegal drug use and crimes. The DEA has posted their Most Wanted Fugitives for Federal Drug Crimes.

Throughout the years, meth production in Minnesota has been steadily declining. That’s the good news. The bad news is meth labs are dangerous not only to people in the home but also the home itself.

In 2003, meth production was at an all time high of 500 reported incidents and in 2005, only 128 reports. This was the direct result of Minnesota legislation against meth production. Last year in 2007, only 73 meth labs were reported to the Department of Health.

But what effect does meth production leave on the homes where they are “cooked”? According to the Minnesota Department of Health, meth manufacturing or “cooking” leaves behind 5 to 7 pounds of chemical waste for each pound of meth that is made. Meth byproducts are considered hazardous waste. As a result, clean up of meth homes is subject not only to local ordinances but also to Minnesota hazardous waste rules.

The meth “cooking” process creates potentially harmful chemical residues that can remain on household surfaces for months or years after “cooking” is over. People exposed to lab chemicals before, during and after the production process have had adverse health effects. This is the same type of effect on the home where the meth is produced. Dangerous toxins from the meth production in a home require assessment and remediation by experienced and qualified personnel; otherwise, the house is not livable and should not be resold. Also, it is important to properly clean up a former meth home because a vacant home invites property crime.

According to the DEA drug violation arrests are slightly down from previous years. In 2005 there were 292 arrests, 2006 had 272 arrests and 2007 there were 258 drug arrests throughout Minnesota. Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and small amounts of black-tar heroin are some of the drugs being sold and bought by Minnesotans.

The use of diverted controlled substances in Minnesota also continues to be a problem. The most commonly diverted controlled substances from the licit market are Nubain®, Dilaudid®, Ritalin®, Vicodin® (hydrocodone), OxyContin®, codeine combination products, the benzodiazepines, and the anorectic drugs phentermine and phendimetrazie.

Nubain is a prescription narcotic that has recently emerged in the Minneapolis area. Body builders are using this narcotic because they mistakenly believe it acts as a steroid. However, four deaths have occurred in the Minneapolis area because of Nubain® being taken with MDMA and OxyContin® being mixed with cocaine. According to local addicts, Klonopin® is more readily available than in the past from illegal sources and prescriptions are easily obtained from some doctors.

In rural Minnesota, Klonopin® has also appeared under its international, non-United States trade name, “Rivotril®,” which suggests its importation from foreign sources. Flunitrazepam, trade name “Rohypnol®,” is a long-acting benzodiapine that is typically combined with alcohol or other drugs to produce incapacitation and memory loss similar to an alcohol-induced blackout. Its use as a “date rape” drug is not widespread in Minnesota and law enforcement agencies encountered only small amounts of the drug.

Recently, U.S. Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota helped to restore the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grant programs . The Byrne grants are used to fund state and local police efforts to combat methamphetamine and other drugs. A portion of the money will be used for the Methamphetamine Hot Spots Initiative that will target meth production and trafficking in Minnesota. It will also be used to prevent meth production by targeting meth cooks and lab, cleanup of meth labs, prosecution of meth cooks and dealers, and expanding treatment options for addicts.
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Recently, according to the Star Tribune a woman was shot during a drug raid by the Southeastern Minnesota Narcotics Task force and other area law enforcement agencies. No details were given on whether she was a repeat user or dealer. How can Minnesota control drug crimes without a serious outcome that recently happened?
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According to the latest surveys, the number 1 drug problem for many counties across the country is methamphetamine users. This synthetic drug that is easily manufactured has quickly spread from the West Coast and has moved into Minnesota. Law enforcement officials throughout Minnesota blame methamphetamine use as one of the causes behind the rise in urban and suburban crime, including homicides in several of the state’s metro counties.
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