Narcotics Division
During 2010, the DA’s Narcotics Division continued its extraordinary cooperation with other law enforcement agencies to prosecute illegal drug-related offenses. Led by Division Chief Tom Manning and Assistant Chief Steve Walter, notable prosecutions during the year included:
Operation V-8
During the month of April 2010, the San Diego Police Department’s Narcotics Team 8 conducted a narcotics buy project targeting street-level drug dealers in the East Village area of the City of San Diego. Over the course of this investigation, undercover detectives, posing as drug users, made purchases of rock cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from the drug dealers who routinely plied their trade in the East Village area. This successful project culminated was then presented to the county grand jury which returned indictments for 41 drug criminals. Forty defendants have been prosecuted; only one remains at large with an arrest warrant in place. Many of arrestees have substantial criminal histories including prior narcotic sales and “three strike” type offenses. Deputy District Attorney Teresa H. Pham provided legal counsel throughout the operation and prosecuted the 40 defendants.
Operation Hidden Valley
The Escondido Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration's Mobile Enforcement Team joined forces to combat street level narcotics dealers and their suppliers during an eight-month undercover operation. The operation netted 72 arrests for drug trafficking in cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine and marijuana. Thirty-six pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, 35 firearms and more than $100,000 in currency was seized during the investigation. North County JUDGE unit DDA’s Christine Trevino, Andrija Lopez and Jon Oliphant have prosecuted 30 of the arrestees. The remaining cases are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for drug and immigration violations.
During the year, the District Attorney’s Asset Forfeiture and JUDGE Units handled five bulk currency smuggling prosecutions. These cases were submitted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, and were prosecuted by Deputy DA’s Jon Oliphant and Ramin Tohidi. All five defendants pled guilty. Three have already been sentenced, with one defendant serving two years in prison, and the other two in local custody. In total, $413,852 was seized for forfeiture. Our office submitted a request to share half of these proceeds. Forfeiture has been completed with respect to $217,928, with forfeiture of the remainder currently in process.
The division continues to direct San Diego County’s JUDGE Program (Jurisdictions United for Drug and Gang Enforcement). The program consists of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who target high-risk felons. In addition, the Narcotics Division runs the treatment side of drug cases in Drug Court and Proposition 36 Court, Federal and State Asset Forfeiture matters, and assists law enforcement with proactive projects in specific high-crime areas.
