A search of her vehicle turned up the following: --Loaded Smith & Wesson MP Shield 9mm handgun. Drug task force officers point to 26-year-old Derek Liebergen as the leader of the operation. The Wood County Sheriff's. "It's just kind of very brazen for sure," says Kinnard. So that just shows you the fact that it spiders out," says Kinnard. Meng Xiong, 26,Wausau:two counts of distributing meth with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more. It was operating primarily in Wisconsin and Illinois. LAWRENCE - It started as a guy sleeping at the wheel of an SUV at a southern Brown County Kwik Trip around midnight. LAWRENCE, Wis. (WFRV) In what authorities are calling the largest drug bust in Hobart/Lawrence history, officers seized multiple items from a vehicle that was parked at Kwik Trips gas pumps for over an hour. Liebergen had a handgun in the waistband of his pants when he was arrested. The seizure by the Brown County Sheriffs Office of10.68 pounds of methamphetamine in 2017 after afive-month investigation. Posted 8 Jun 2021 8 Jun 2021 Tue 8 Jun 2021 at 6:25am , updated . 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"The task force is in place and has already demonstrated its effectiveness," he said, adding he foresees the group continuing to grow in the future. According to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, in February of 2021, deputies responded to a narcotics overdose investigation in the Village of Salem Lakes. Drug investigators executed multiple search warrants in September 2019. Her, 61, Wausau:delivery of 3-10 grams of meth,delivery of 10-50 grams of meth as a habitual criminality repeater. No additional information was provided, Local 5 will continue to update this story. The case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The source told officers that Liebergen was going to be in the area on Sept. 11 with a large amount of meth. zp. The value of the seizure at that time was around $350 million which is the equivalent to $415 million in today's money. Authorities had not made the arrest public. Authorities say an 11-month investigation that began with a drug overdose in southeastern Wisconsin has netted 106 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value up to $6 million. While they don't yet know the street value of the drugs, Police Chief Randy Bani said investigators believe between $20,000 to $30,000 of drugs were confiscated. Police said the man's "stash" includedsignificant amounts of cocaine, as well asmethamphetamine, fentanyl, LSD, marijuana, heroin,drug paraphernalia and about $50,000 in cash. A search warrant was executed at Ullmer's home in Oconto Falls. The caller said that the vehicle, which was occupied by one person, was parked at the gas pumps for over an hour. What was going to be sold? Liebergen agreed to an interview after his arrest. An affidavit for Ullmer's arrest states that on Oct. 1, police officers pulled Ullmer over in Green Bay. MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- In the biggest drug bust recorded in Mesa Police Department history, officers uncovered over 700,000 fentanyl pills and more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin and . Chou Xiong, 36,Wausau:conspiring to distribute meth, seven counts of distributing 5 grams or more,one count of distributing 50 grams or more. The name of the suspect is reportedly being withheld, as it is an active investigation. Ronk said a gram of cocaine can sell for about $100, while an ounceof the stimulantcan fetch between $1,300 and $1,800 depending on how pure it is, where it is soldand other factors. They said Tuesday that the investigation could lead to further arrests. A further search of the vehicle turned up the following: --13.9 grams of marijuana (found in safe). Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron. If you have any information, you are asked to call the taskforce tipline at 218-730-5750 or dial 911. A search of her vehicle turned up the following: --Loaded Smith & Wesson MP Shield 9mm handgun. And then he made a connection there to a cartel source, direct back into Mexico," says Kinnard. He and his girlfriend, 25-year-old girlfriend Carley Poettker were arrested following the search. After commemorating Recovery Month in September, Duluth Mayor Emily Larson says the dismantling of such a large drug organization is important in the fight against addiction. Lisa Marie Celeskey, 33, faces one felony count of first-degree aggravated controlled substance crime and one felony count of third-degree controlled substance crimes. Two weeks later, as police have sorted out their findings, Hobart-Lawrence police say the March arrest turns out to have been the largest drug bust the department has ever made. Mai Xiong, 32, Wausau:delivery of 10-50 grams of meth,party to the crimeas a habitual criminality repeater. Live PD: Top 7 Biggest Money Busts | A&E A&E 9.28M subscribers Subscribe 93K Share 15M views 2 years ago #LivePD Stay up to date on all of A&E's premieres at http://aetv.com/schedule Check out. The dealers broke it down to sell on the street. RACINE - Authorities arrested eight suspected major drug traffickers and seized more than $60,000 worth of drugs in what law enforcement called one of the biggest drug busts in Racine County history. The estimated street value of the drugs seized is between $132,000 and $142,000. Authorities say they recovered crack, heroin and illegal guns . An investigation started which apparently lead to the largest drug bust in Hobart/Lawrence history. The caller reported a vehicle was parked at a gas pump for more than an hour. A gram of meth sold "on the street" in Wisconsin commonly costs $100 to $120, Brown County Sheriff's Capt. Information uncovered during investigations in the Wausau area have helpedshut down other organizations outside Wisconsin, Parks said. and last updated 2:32 PM, Feb 27, 2023. Police encourage members of the community to report suspicious drug-distribution-related activity to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. He was found with suitcases and bags full of drugs and a loaded Ruger 9mm handgun, according to federal prosecutors. Follow him on Twitter at @PGDougSchneider. Liebergen used to live there. Officers were able to wake the driver up, and as the driver removed his hands from his pockets, drug paraphernalia was seen. Man charged in largest Eau Claire cocaine bust, Colfax man accused of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, Missing endangered person alert issued for man missing from Sheldon, Connells Supper Club in Chippewa Falls and Fall Creek listed for sale, Wisconsin Republicans push tighter budget, downplay surplus, Royal Credit Union awarded $640,000 from grant program. On Sept. 9, the Brown County Drug Task Force arrested defendant Malachi Root in Green Bay. They searched his hotel room and found 60 pounds of meth and one kilogram of what investigators believed to be heroin/fentanyl, according to the complaint. The complaint says on April 10th police were called to the Menards Distribution Center in Eau Claire where employees found suspicious items in a semi-trailer. Police caught up with Liebergen at a Grand Chute hotel. Commander Domenico Napolitano, head of the financial police for the city of Naples, told CNN . TOWN OF LAWRENCE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) A person falling asleep in a vehicle at a gas station led to the largest drug bust in Hobart/Lawrence history, police say. Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said Wednesday. When officers arrived, they found the vehicle running and the person inside the car appeared to be asleep. "This quantity was directed all over Northeast Wisconsin," says Sheriff Delain. In 1995, the US Coast Guard carried out a huge drug bust off the coast of Peru, which at the time was the biggest drug bust on the high seas, though it would soon be topped. aiding and abetting to sell more than a hundred grams of a controlled substance. Chai Thao, 34,Wausau:two counts of distributing meth with one count alleged to involve 50 grams or more. In that case, more than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the sale of meth that had been brought to Wisconsin from California. It's like a plot straight out of the Netflix crime drama "Ozark." Marathon County prosecutors filed charges against four more. DaoThao, 39,St. Paul, Minnesota:possessing 50 grams or more of meth with intent to distribute. A federal grand jury in Green Bay has indicted nine people in the drug conspiracy--believed to be one of the largest in state history. That turned up the following: --Alprazolam pills (panic/anxiety medication), --Drug ledgers with names, dollar amounts and dates. The Wausau-area arrests were not connected to another major bust in northeastern Wisconsin involving nearly 60 pounds of meth found in suitcases at a hotel, according to Brown County authorities involved in that case. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit, Brown County Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation worked together on the case. Inaddition to the illegal drugs, police seized what they called "alarge amount" of prescription medications and designer pills. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Sheriff: Area meth bust could be largest in state history, 911 call turns fire drill at Xavier High School into shelter-in-place order, Milwaukee murder suspect captured after chase in Winnebago County, Prosecution moves to ban Grant Fuhrmans mother from the courtroom, Aaron Rodgers hopes to have decision sooner rather than later, Brown County Showcase of Homes starts spring tour, Public File Assistance Contact - (920) 432-3331. He has entered not guilty pleas to the charges. 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