Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jun 2006
Source: Daily Press (Victorville, CA)
Copyright: 2006 Daily Press
Contact: http://www.vvdailypress.com/contact/
Website: http://www.vvdailypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1061
Author: Katherine Rosenberg, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

OFFICERS SELL COCAINE IN STING OPERATION

VICTORVILLE -- At least 18 people were arrested in a reverse sting 
operation Thursday night in which narcotics officers took over an 
apartment and sold cocaine to willing buyers.

The operation was the first of its kind in six years in the area and 
was deemed a complete success, according to Deputy Paul Gallant of 
the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Detail.

Gallant, along with Detective John Wickum of the Victorville station, 
has been planning the sting for two weeks. The effort required 
controlled narcotics buys, compiling a 28-person team, getting search 
warrants signed and -- essential to the operation -- obtaining a 
large amount of rock cocaine for sales.

"You always try to get more than what you think you're going to sell. 
So, we got two ounces and then we cut it up and packaged it the way 
we were told they sell it out of this apartment," Gallant said. "We 
write a court order for the drugs and get it signed by a judge. The 
drugs are those that have been ordered to be destroyed from a case 
that's been adjudicated."

The first eight people to be arrested were already in the apartment 
off Hesperia Road around 5 p.m. when authorities arrived. Once they 
were arrested and removed from the home, officials set up shop, 
answering the door whenever a prospective buyer arrived.

"They just know that someone in this apartment sells whatever type of 
drug they're looking for, and they want the drug so badly they don't 
care who they're buying it from," Gallant said, explaining why 
arrestees would buy from undercover officers.

"We had big rocks. They are supposed to be $20 rocks. We have the 
rocks in a tin, and we'll actually let them take out the rock that 
they want so they're actually taking that overt action themselves and 
we're not handing it to them," he added.

Originally authorities targeted another residence as well, and one 
person was arrested from that home on suspicion of sales of cocaine 
and maintaining a residence for drug sales, but no further sales were 
conducted out of the woman's residence by officers.

The team was expected to stay at the location until midnight, and the 
number of arrestees was likely to increase before authorities called it a day.
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