HUNT shakedown leads to nine arrests across the area
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
The Huron Undercover Narcotics Team (HUNT) is refocusing its efforts on derailing the sale of prescription drugs for non-medical uses.
The result was a drug bust that landed nine individuals from Rogers City to Tower in jail facing various drug charges. The operation was dubbed: ?Operation On-Away to jail,? according to D/Lt. Rick Schultz, HUNT commander.
?The use of cocaine and marijuana and crack is down,? said Schultz. ?The only thing that has shown an increase nationwide is the fraudulent use of prescription drugs.? An area getting the attention during last week?s shakedown was in Onaway.
?We went there on our own and developed our own information, which developed into these series of arrests,? said Schultz. ?We developed some information and got a tip ? and just followed up on it.?
With the assistance of uniformed officers from the Rogers City Police Department, Presque Isle County Sheriff?s Department and troopers from the state police, detectives from the state police and detectives from HUNT apprehended the subjects, who are mostly from Onaway.
MAGISTRATE KEITH GORDON arraigned seven subjects last Friday in 89th District Court. The names of the individuals and the charges are as follows:
? Robert McCormick, 50, of Onaway was charged with delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony) and maintaining a drug house (two year misdemeanor). He also was charged with habitual offender ? fourth offense (life sentence).
? Annissa Goit, 18, of Onaway, was charged with two counts of delivery of marijuana (four year felony).
? Alicia Martin, 20, of Onaway was charged with delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony).
? Todd Perkins, 37, of Onaway was charged with two counts delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony), maintaining a drug house (two year misdemeanor), as well as a habitual offender second offense.
? Tiffany Riley, 27, of Rogers City was charged with delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule III (seven year felony) and habitual offender fourth offense.
? Mary Schoenenberg, 50, of Rogers City was charged with delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony)
? Amanda Panicali, 21, of Onaway was charged with delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony).
An eighth subject, a 29-year-o
Arraigned in 89th District Court in Cheboygan County was Blair Griffin, 23, of Tower. He faces two charges of delivery of a controlled substance ? schedule II (20 year felony). Schultz said two firearms were seized in this operation, prescription narcotics were seized from six out of nine of the arrestees and suspected narcotic proceeds (cash) were confiscated from two individuals.
Preliminary examinations for most of the defendants are scheduled for April 7 at 11 a.m.