ACET commander presents 2011 report
By the numbers ...
All Crimes Enforcement Team’s activity in 2011:
ACET conducted 29 narcotics investigations last year. The breakdown is below:
• Methamphetamine — 13
• Prescription fraud — 6
• Cocaine — 4
• Marijuana — 3
• Psilocybin — 2
• Criminal impersonation — 1
— ACET officers also assisted other agencies with four additional investigations.
Drugs seized by ACET last year:
• 372.12 grams of cocaine/estimated street value: $42,421.68
• 2.8 grams of methamphetamine/estimated street value: $336
• 3 grams of marijuana/estimated street value: $50
• Estimated street value of all drugs seized: $42,807.68
By the numbers …
All Crimes Enforcement Team’s activity in 2011:
ACET conducted 29 narcotics investigations last year. The breakdown is below:
• Methamphetamine — 13
• Prescription fraud — 6
• Cocaine — 4
• Marijuana — 3
• Psilocybin — 2
• Criminal impersonation — 1
— ACET officers also assisted other agencies with four additional investigations.
Drugs seized by ACET last year:
• 372.12 grams of cocaine/estimated street value: $42,421.68
• 2.8 grams of methamphetamine/estimated street value: $336
• 3 grams of marijuana/estimated street value: $50
• Estimated street value of all drugs seized: $42,807.68
Marvin Cameron, All Crimes Enforcement Team commander, met Wednesday with area law enforcement officials to summarize last year’s task force activity on narcotics investigations and seizures.
Cameron’s report was delivered to the six-member ACET Executive Board, which is comprised of Craig Police Chief Walt Vanatta; Moffat County Sheriff Tim Jantz; Steamboat Springs Police Chief Joel Ray; Routt County Sheriff Garrett Wiggins; Hayden Police Chief Gordon Booco; and 14th Judicial District Attorney Elizabeth Oldham.
Of the 29 investigations conducted by ACET officers last year, 23 resulted in arrests.
Four narcotics suspects went through the legal process last year and were sentenced to prison, including two Craig residents convicted of distributing methamphetamine.
Ray Siqueiros, 27, was arrested in June 2011 on suspicion of distribution of a Schedule 2 controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.
He later reached a plea agreement with Moffat County prosecutors for a five-year prison term plus three years of mandatory parole.
Scott Steckel, 36, was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of distribution of a Schedule 2 controlled substance, a Class 4 felony, among others.
Steckel was sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of mandatory parole because he was also designated as a habitual criminal.
ACET officers were also busy last year east of Moffat County, Cameron said.
In January 2011, the agency dismantled a methamphetamine lab in Hayden and filed charges against four suspects.
Jamison Fjoser, 37, the alleged cook, pleaded guilty to manufacturing a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony.
He was sentenced in September 2011 in Routt County District Court to 12 years in prison.
Two other suspects were sentenced to five years in Correctional Alternative Placement Services. The fourth suspect is still going through the legal process.
ACET reported that officers broke up a suspected cocaine ring in May 2011 in Steamboat Springs.
Omar Aguire-Prieto, 39, was charged with distribution of a Schedule 4 controlled substance, a Class 3 felony.
During a search of Aguire-Prieto’s Walton Village condo, ACET investigators seized 340 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of $38,760 and $15,560 in cash.
He accepted a plea deal in August 2011 of three-and-a-half years in prison and forfeiture of $54,320.
Cameron said the four convictions discussed in the report are just a few of the “highlights” from 2011.
“We’ve had a lot of convictions on the other cases and there are investigations from 2011 that are either ongoing or are still in the judicial process,” Cameron said. “However, we have a 100-percent conviction rate for investigations conducted during my first two years with ACET.”
In total, ACET officers seized 372.12 grams of cocaine; 2.8 grams of methamphetamine; and three grams of marijuana with a total estimated street value of $42,807.68.
Although the amount of drugs seized and the estimated street value fluctuates each year depending on where an investigation leads, Cameron said the results from 2011 were on par with 2010.
Additionally, Cameron said the amount of seized drugs can be skewed because officers don’t necessarily need a seizure in order for an investigation to end with a conviction.
“Officers build investigations based on buys, but search warrants aren’t always executed,” Cameron said. “For example, Steckel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth during the course of the investigation, so no drugs were actually seized during that particular investigation.”
Of the 29 narcotics investigations, four were for the distribution or possession of cocaine; 13 for the possession or distribution of methamphetamine; three for the distribution of marijuana; two psilocybin investigations — one mushroom grow operation and one for possession; six prescription frauds; and one criminal impersonation investigation.
ACET includes an officer each from the Craig Police Department, Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Steamboat Springs Police Department and Routt County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators are paid by their home agency.
In addition, each county and municipal government contributes funds for items such as equipment, supplies, “buy” money and capital improvements.
In 2011, Moffat County’s contribution was $22,596.67; the cities of Craig and Steamboat Springs each paid $15,396.66; Routt County’s share totaled $10,800; and the Town of Hayden tacked on an additional $750.
ACET’s 2011 budget was $64,940.
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