Methamphetamine

Jalapeños Still Not Good for Hiding Thousands of Pounds of Weed, Mexican National Finds

Today in Found at the Border: For the second time in two weeks, a Mexican national was busted trying to smuggle weed into the United States by hiding the product in jalapeños.Whereas the Mexican national who attempted to bring more than 3,300 pounds of weed on May 27 stuffed the pot inside cans of ... More >>

Phoenix Couple Takes Meth and Kids to Get Five-Finger Discount at Discount Tire, Cops Say

A Phoenix couple tossed their meth and kids in the car to go on a ride to a Discount Tire store Friday night, where they stole seven tires. A witness watched as Kristina Francis and her husband, Michael, stole the truck tires from a Discount Tire store near 18th Street and Camelback Road around 7 p ... More >>

Border Agents Find Women With Buckets of Chicken: Half Original Recipe, Half Meth

Unless someone's familiar with a Nogales-area establishment that sells chicken and meth in the same bucket, we'll have to rely on U.S. Customs and Border Protection's claim that it busted a smuggling attempt.Yes, the preferred method of smuggling in this attempt apparently was to hide multiple pound ... More >>

Bath Salts: Our Told-Ya-So Moments on "Ban" Continue

See also: "Bath Salts" Bill Still Leaves Concept of "Bath Salts" LegalThe Arizona Republic announced in its Thursday edition that its reporters have discovered, "Despite new Arizona law, dangerous bath salts flourish."Back on February 16, that's exactly what we told you would happen, a thought corro ... More >>

Abraham Ortega-Leyva Accused of Throwing Away a Whole Lot of Drugs, Along With a Photo of Himself

Here's a tip -- if you're throwing away about a pound-and-a-half of meth, almost a pound of heroin, a few guns, and almost $20,000 in cash, also tossing pictures of yourself in there may not be the best idea.Abraham Ortega-Leyva learned that one the hard way.

Moses Ulloa, Glendale's Own, Arrested Yet Again

Moses Ulloa -- the man voted by our readers as having the third-dumbest hometown pride face tattoos in the Valley -- was arrested yet again yesterday.Ulloa and his moronic tattoos -- which include the City of Glendale logo on the top of his head, "Murdercopa County" on his neck, horns on his forehea ... More >>

"Murdercopa County" Has Some Hometown Pride Locked Up in Jail Right Now

Browsing through the "Mugshot of the Day Leader Board" on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website always brings a surprise, like the Sunday booking of Vicente Valles, who has the City of Tempe logo tattooed on his chin, and an Arizona State University logo on his cheek.It kind of reminded us of ... More >>

Cops Go to Question David Denton About Hotel Burglary; Leaves Meth and Heroin With 6-Year-Old and Jumps Off Third-Floor Balcony

​David Denton did not want to talk to the cops this weekend while staying at the Arizona Grand Resort.This urge to avoid the cops was so bad that police say Denton, 33, left his meth and heroin stash with his 6-year-old kid and jumped off the third-floor balcony to hide (unsuccessfully) in a kitch ... More >>

Border Agent, Corrections Officer Charged With Helping Traffickers Smuggle Drugs Into U.S.

​A U.S. Border Patrol agent and a corrections officer with the Arizona Department of Correction were arrested yesterday on charges that they helped a drug trafficking organization (DTO) smuggle drugs into the United States.Ivhan Herrera-Chiang, 29, a U.S. Border Patrol agent stationed in Yuma, and ... More >>

Arizonans Gettin' All Moderate When it Comes to Illegal Immigration?

The "meth lab," it seems, just blew up.​A poll released Wednesday shows that the vast majority of Arizonans prefer a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who've been in the United States for an extended period of time, and can meet reasonable criteria for citizenship -- as oppose to simpl ... More >>

Drug Runner's "Going to Be Pissed" About Nearly $9 Million in Meth and Heroin Seized by PCSO, His Supposed Wife Tells Cops

Pinal County Sheriff's Office 28-year-old Jessica Velasco​The Pinal County Sheriff's Office seized about $9 million worth of meth and black-tar heroin during a traffic stop on SR 347 just south of Maricopa, and the man moving the drugs apparently is going "going to be pissed." About 9 ... More >>

Naked Meth-Head to Cops: I'm Lying Naked in Field to Feel "Closer to God"

MCSO Jose Juan Peralta feels closest to God while on meth and lying naked in a field.​When most people want to get closer to God, they go to church. Not 36-year-old Juan Jose Peralta. According to police, he finds smoking meth, stripping down in a Mesa field, and exposing himself as the bes ... More >>

Mohave County Prosecutor Says He Dropped Case Against Female Informant Following Allegations of Sex Abuse by Tribal Cop; Woman Filed Federal Complaint

  ​A Mohave County prosecutor tells New Times today that he dropped meth charges against a woman working as an informant following allegations that a police officer sexually abused her. As we reported on Friday, Erika Solem of Bullhead City is suing Mohave County and the ... More >>

Surprise Man Tells Cops He Was Raped By His Drug Dealer; Says He Was Trying to Get Back His Mother's Ring He'd Used As Down Payment for Meth

MCSOMark Barrera Ramos​Some things in life require intense courage and willpower -- like the guy who went to the Surprise Police Department to tell the cops he was raped by his meth dealer. According to documents obtained by New Times, the man told police he was at the Surprise house of 41-y ... More >>

Four Days of Meth Use Leads Scottsdale Man to Naked Picnic in Dollar Store Bathroom -- Before Covering Store in Silly String

MCSO Shane Christian Chavis was found having a naked picnic in a dollar store bathroom before covering the store in Silly String.​If you think the restroom at a Phoenix dollar store is an inappropriate place to strip down for an impromptu naked picnic featuring items you stole from the stor ... More >>

Chandler Meth "Broker" Busted Making Deal With Infant Child in Home

www.mommyconversations.comThe above are among several items -- including a scale and baggies -- found in the home of Carol Stephen and her two-month-old daughter...but Carol says she's not a drug "dealer."​A Chandler woman insists that she's not a meth dealer -- she just arranges, buys, and is pai ... More >>

Phoenix Man Convicted of Murder After Dropping Dead Wife Off at Police Station Sentenced to Prison

Dwight Wesley was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murdering his wife.​A Phoenix man who brought his dead wife's body to the police station last year was sentenced in a Maricopa County Superior Court this morning.Dwight Wesley, 58, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last October, and ... More >>

Dec. 10 In Blogs: Russell Pearce, Strawberry Hedgehog, Insane Clown Posse, Pro's Ranch, and Meth

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Phoenix Man Who Dropped Dead Wife Off at Police Station Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder

Dwight Wesley​Back in April, a Phoenix man dropped his dead wife off at a police station in downtown Phoenix. Today, he pled guilty to second-degree murder.According to court documents, when 58-year-old Dwight Wesley walked into a police station in downtown Phoenix covered in blood and carrying a ... More >>

Fiancee/Cousin of Escaped Inmate Described as "Meth Addict"-Looking

Casslyn Welch ​The hunt is still on for Casslyn Welch and her would-be cous-band, escaped Arizona prison inmate John McCluskey. The first cousins are apparently engaged, despite McCluskey's lengthy prison term, and are currently on the run somewhere in the American Northwest or Canada, autho ... More >>

Cops Bust Traveling Meth Lab Near Kingman; Dude Was Cookin' Meth in the Back of his Truck

www.zazzle.com​A New Mexico man seems to have thought to himself "hmm, how can I make my meth lab even more dangerous than it already is." That might be why police say he packed it into a stolen pickup truck and took his meth-making show on the road. Police in Kingman stopped ... More >>

Mugshot of the Week from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office: 52-Year-Old Roseann Jimenez

Rosann Jimenez ​We know what you're probably thinking but the answer is no -- this is not Governor Jan Brewer before a trip to the makeup chair.

Phoenix New Times Seeks Critic for Weekly Reviews of the Meth Scene

Montana Meth ProjectDon't worry, she's not a meth addict, she just plays one in Andy Thomas' ad campaign -- we want the real deal.​Phoenix New Times is asking local meth-heads to put those euphoric buzzes or even shattered dreams to use by applying to write a new weekly column called, "You Do the ... More >>

Meth Warnings Drawn by Local Kids to be Put in Statewide Poster

This anti-meth artwork of three Valley kids will be incorporated into a widely distributed poster following a contest by the state Attorney General's Office: First Place: Alison Calabrese, Wigwam Creek Middle School, Litchfield Park (above)

Hot Links: Mesa Meth, MSCO Officer Busted, and Pink Cabaret

As we reported yesterday, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin was fired. Now, it looks almost certain his replacement will be Director of Player Development, A.J. Hinch. An official announcement will be made today at a 3 p.m. press conference...Mesa police arrested four illegal immigrants and co ... More >>

Just Announced: Third Eye Blind, Aerosmith, Erykah Badu

Third Eye Blind: Still alive.Did you know that Third Eye Blind is still around? Yeah, me either, but the "Semi-Charmed Life" guys (they were crystal meth before crystal meth was cool!) are still a band and still touring, apparently at venues as large as the Marquee. Go figure. What other bands you u ... More >>

Hot Links: Tax Breaks, Meth Labs, and Stink-Free Undies

The city of Phoenix will offer tax breaks to business owners, giving them a two-month amnesty period between April 15 and June 15 to file delinquent taxes without a penalty. The interest rate for delinquent taxes will be cut from six percent to three percent during the amnesty period...Perhaps ... More >>

Hot Links: Light Rail, Meth Salon, and Pelosi's Capitol Cats

A spokesman for APS says the company's seen a 45 percent increase in power thefts, with people running cables to utility lines or neighbors' homes. APS says high jacking power is not only illegal, but dangerous, and vows to prosecute power thieves. SRP, on the other hand, reports that power thefts a ... More >>

Border Patrol checkpoints near Yuma nab hordes of pot users headed back from the beach

Edifice Complex

Home is where the art is for Phoenix photog

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, December 29, 2005

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, December 8, 2005

The Street

Tales of tragic stupidity and opportunistic thieves

The Truck Stops Here

Pickup owner driven to distraction by vehicle forfeiture snafu

Letters