Meth November Articles in THE UNION

By Dave Moller
Senior staff writer, davem@theunion.com
November 29, 2005

Maura Winton was addicted to heroin for 32 years.

Now she and about 40 other recovering addicts in Nevada County figure they took so much out of their communities that it's time to give back.

That's why Recovery Alumni Associates began in September, to help those who have been through initial drug court and other recovery programs to stay sober. The recovering addicts are also doing it to keep themselves clean of the drugs that ravaged their lives.

"It fulfills my recovery to give back. I have to," said Winton, now clean for more than four years. "I took so much for so long."

"We have to make amends for what we did to the community," said Bob Rogers, leader of the group and an employee at Community Recovery Resources, also known as CORR, a county nonprofit that finds recovery programs for addicts. "I stay and clean and sober by helping another addict."

Rogers has been to prison more than once and used methamphetamine for 33 years. He has been clean for two and one-half years.

Kevin Brady's drug of choice for 25 years was "whatever you had in your pocket: cocaine in the '80s, crank in the '90s, heroin," he said. Now clean for more than three years and on his way to an architectural degree at Chico State, Brady said the alumni group is hard to fool.

"We know who's serious about staying clean," Brady said. "That's one asset this group has."

They also know there is more to deal with than dope alone.

"Once the drugs are gone, there is a living problem," said alumni member Christine Blankenship, who also works at CORR, from which the group sprang. "We work on the underlying problems of why the drugs were taken in the first place and, as graduates of CORR, we know where to send these people."

Blankenship was into methamphetamine for about seven years and has been clean for more than five. She and the alumni members said a big help in aiding their recovery could be something as simple as a ride to drug court.

Beyond that, those in the group can help recovering addicts gain the food and shelter they need to stay sober and become productive again. Otherwise, they said, many who go through treatment come out to face the same people and problems they had before and go right back into drugs.

"We want to give help to those out there who don't think they can get it," Blankenship said. "We know what works."

The group is well-aware that many members of the community have been burned in the past when asked to help recovering addicts, Rogers said. That's why the alumni is willing to channel help to those recovering from the outside.

He said a recent donation came in because a family did not want to just give a lump of money to a recovering loved one. They feared it would go straight to drugs and asked the alumni to give it out to the addict in the form of prolonged help.

Those who want help have to fill out forms with the alumni and are kept accountable. The nine-member board has to unanimously approve a request for aid. "We just don't shovel it out," Rogers said.

"We're already helping," said Shelley Rogers, Bob's wife, now clean for 30 months after 22 years on meth. "We've funded a woman for the transition house," she said. The home recently opened to give those graduating from initial treatment six more months to grow and recover.

The alumni are also planning fundraisers for the near future, including a walk for recovery and a benefit concert. They're asking for any kind of help for their group because it takes money and material to save addicts lives.

Bob Rogers said the kind of help he got in Nevada County can be parlayed with alumni experience for those who want it. They can teach simple things for addiction's not-so-simple answers.

"Today I had a choice to stick a needle in my arm or not," Bob Rogers said. "Now I have a lot of choices because I made the right choice this morning.

"I used to think guys with tattoos and guns were tough. A tough guy is somebody who stays clean for a year."

To contact senior staff writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com or call 477-4237.

By Robyn Moormeister, robynm@theunion.com
November 26, 2005

A Nevada City house cleaner allegedly caught with a myriad of prescription painkillers and street drugs in her van will enter her plea in court next month.

Rickie Lynn Abel, 23, was arrested Nov. 10 after Nevada City police searched her Ford van and reportedly found several types of drugs and drug paraphernalia inside.

"(We) found marijuana, heroin, meth, and different prescription drugs," said arresting officer Ken Anspach. The prescription drugs found, he said, include narcotic painkillers OxyContin and hydromorphine, and codeine with Tylenol.

Empty sandwich baggies and an electronic scale were also reportedly found in the van.

Anspach said he questioned Abel after he saw her rummaging through donations behind the Hospice Gift and Thrift shop on Zion Street at approximately 7:30 p.m.

"People leave donations behind the hospice after hours and that leaves the door open for prowling," Anspach said.

He called dispatch to run a check on Abel's name and discovered she was on probation. He said he asked for permission to search her van, and she allowed it.

Nevada City Police Sgt. Paul Rohde said Anspach followed the department's typical procedures.

"If (people are) in a place they normally shouldn't be like behind a closed business, we approach the person, talk to them, find out what they're doing there and why," Rohde said. "Sometimes there's a legitimate reason."

He arrested her on suspicion of five drug-related charges, including possession of narcotics, transporting narcotics for sale, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance for sale. Bail was set at $36,000.

Abel was arraigned and released Nov. 15. A judge found her ineligible drug rehabilitation programs in lieu of a jail sentence, which is defined by California law as diversion and rehabilitation instead of incarceration.

Abel is scheduled to enter her plea Dec. 15 in Nevada County Superior Court.

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To contact staff writer Robyn Moormeister, email robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.

By The Union staff
November 22, 2005

The complexities of recovery from drug addiction require a myriad of support services. One group, the Recovery Alumni Association, has stepped up to try to fill some of those needs in our community.

"The primary purpose of the Recovery Alumni Association is to provide a close-knit clean and sober support group for each other and to mentor and give support to all graduates and current clients of CORR (Community Recovery Resources), its affiliates, and Nevada County Drug courts," said Bob Rogers, who is affiliated with the alumni group.

"There are many, many problems an addict faces early in recovery. Once a person fights to get clean, they then have to face the struggles and challenges of everyday life. The lack of job skills, financial resources, education, dependable transportation, and affordable housing, to name a few, can seem so overwhelming that many give up and go back to their old way of life. They know how to survive in that world," Rogers said.

The Alumni Association was formed by dedicated members of the local recovery community to act as a channel for the help Nevada Countians may be willing to provide, to ensure that people who are working hard to overcome their disease receive the help they need.

The Alumni Association is in the unique position to know which individuals are serious about their recovery.

"Our hope is that with a recommendation from the Alumni Association, employers will offer jobs and landlords will rent to members. We have upcoming events being planned to show our community the positive side of recovery. A 'Walk for Recovery' is scheduled for the spring to show how large the recovery community is and to show that there is hope. Another of our goals is to give back to the community. We are starting a 'Community Help' program for people who are unable to do certain physical tasks like chop wood, clean their gutters, or whatever. They will be able to call the Alumni Association and volunteers will help them. A phone line for people to call is being set up, and it should be going soon. People are recovering from this disease right here in Nevada County," Rogers said.

The Recovery Alumni Association needs your help to "Buck Meth." If you can send $1, or any amount possible, the alumni group can continue to make positive changes in the lives of those trying to recover.

"Thank you on behalf of all the addicts in Nevada County struggling to recover from the insidious disease of addiction," Rogers said.

Send any donations to Recovery Alumni Association, P.O. Box 2643, Grass Valley, CA 95945.

Although the Recovery Alumni Association is made up primarily of graduates of CORR's treatment program and many of the same goals are shared by all, the Alumni Association is not directly affiliated with CORR in any way. Any money donated to the Alumni Association does not go to CORR. Anyone wishing to donate directly to CORR should do so.

By Jeff Ackerman, jeffa@theunion.com
November 22, 2005

I first met Natalie Wilson last week when she came into the office with a letter to the editor thanking an anonymous donor for helping get her life back together. Her clear, blue eyes were penetrating, as were the words she spoke of a near lifetime of addiction.

Had I gone searching for a methamphetamine addict, I would never have given Natalie a second glance. She looked nothing like the police mug shot we published of her earlier this year, when she was booked into jail for allegedly possessing drugs and stolen property.

And that's the point, really. This drug that continues to tear at the fabric of rural America has many faces. And in order to see it ... to fight it ... we need to open our eyes ... and our souls ... a little wider.

In that brief encounter last week, Natalie cautioned me against stereotyping meth users in my periodic crusade to rid our community of the drug.

Her story is testimony to that.

Natalie has lived 26 of her 35 years in Nevada County, leaving briefly when she was 17 to get clean in Idaho. She's been trying to get and stay clean ever since and understands her battle to do that will last the rest of her life.

"I was 16 years old and working in a crisis center, taking drug crisis calls while I was loaded on meth," she recalled on Sunday, having signed out for a couple of hours from her temporary lodging at a Community Recovery Resources' treatment home in Grass Valley. An anonymous donor has paid her $500-per-month fee through December, which is why Natalie and her 16-year-old daughter are not on the streets.

Natalie was clean when she gave birth to her daughter and stayed clean for a dozen years, working as a nurse's assistant at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and serving double duty as a troop leader and volunteer in her daughter's classroom.

"I worked all of the '12 Steps' and thought I was recovered," she said. "I didn't realize I was still an addict. I didn't think I would ever use again, that I was above all of that."

Natalie injured her back, and before she knew it, she was addicted to pain pills.

She and her husband (who is in jail today) battled their pain-pill addiction for years, even locking themselves in a Tahoe cabin for several days in a futile effort to get clean. "One day I was using the pain pills for my back and the next I was a full-blown addict," she recalls. "There was no warning. That's the scary part. We both knew better. It would have been easier to explain had we been born into an addictive family. It was painful. Every day we'd promise it was our last day. We meant it and wanted it, but we just weren't there yet."

Then along came methamphetamine, a synthetic drug that some consider one of the most addictive and physically debilitating drugs of all.

"It (meth) just presented itself," she said. "Somebody came over who mentioned that we ought to try it. Our first response was 'not a chance in hell.' We talked about it some more and I said to my husband, 'how could you even consider something like that?' We knew what would happen, that we'd lose our jobs, our house, our faith, our children, our self respect, our integrity, our self worth, become dishonest and then we'll lose each other and our freedom."

That's exactly what happened. Their Nevada City home was raided last February and they were arrested. "They came into our house (guns drawn), found drugs and stolen property," said Natalie, who is out on bail and awaiting a trial in February.

A month later she was arrested again. "I was pretty much homeless and my daughter had run away," she said. "I was sleeping in my Jeep at Condon Park or in church parking lots. I was loaded when the cops pulled up on me."

Natalie had finally hit the bottom so many drug addicts eventually long for. "I had just had enough," she said. "I was so glad to know that I was finally there."

That was June 14, a date Natalie recited instantly, when I asked. Addicts measure life with an hourglass. Natalie had been clean for 112 days when I spoke with her Sunday.

I met with Natalie because I'm rooting for her and her daughter. I really believe the best way to win this war on meth is through small victories. The folks at Community Recovery Resources (under the direction of executive director Warren Daniels) know that all too well. Natalie and her daughter are living in one of two transitional houses, and they probably need to stay there for at least six months for the program to really work. "They say I would benefit from a one-year out-patient program," said Natalie. "To me, that's more important than food."

Natalie will start classes at Sierra College in a couple of weeks and is looking forward to perhaps pursuing a career as a bookkeeper.

But first she must face her demons. "I have to be reminded every day that I am an addict," she said. "And I will need to do that for the rest of my life."

Over the past couple of years I've heard from a few of you asking how you can help in this fight against methamphetamines. I can't think of a better way than to support Community Recovery Resources (273-9541). That's where Natalie, her daughter and a handful of others are making a desperate fight for life. That's where the talk stops and the action begins.

I think it's a righteous cause, deserving of as much support as this caring community can muster.

Please help.

Jeff Ackerman is the publisher of The Union. His column appears on Tuesdays. Contact him at 477-4299, jeffa@theunion.com, or 464 Sutton Way, Grass Valley 95945.

By Robyn Moormeister, robynm@theunion.com
November 19, 2005

The handyman at a Grass Valley motel was arrested Friday afternoon when deputies allegedly found more than an ounce of methamphetamine in his pants pocket.

Gabriel Acosta, 32, had been under investigation for approximately two weeks for selling methamphetamine when Nevada County Sheriff's deputies arrested him at noon Friday.

Sheriff's Sgt. Bill Evans with the county's narcotics task force said 29 grams of methamphetamine were found in Acosta's pocket at the time of the arrest, outside the Holiday Lodge hotel where Acosta worked as a handyman.

"It probably cost him anywhere from $500 to $800 to buy, but he could sell it for $1,600," Evans said.

Acosta had been living at the hotel for several months with his wife, Dolores, and their 10-year-old son. He was using a power sander on the motel's deck when deputies approached at approximately noon Friday.

Acosta appeared confused when deputies ordered him to put down the sander, Evans said, because of a language barrier. Acosta speaks only Spanish, Evans said.

Deputies also reportedly found two methamphetamine pipes in Acosta's room.

Acosta was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of drug paraphernalia, being under the influence of a controlled substance and failure to pay a traffic-related fine.

This is not Acosta's first drug-related arrest; he was arrested in May 2002 by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office for possession of a controlled substance.

Acosta was booked Friday into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility and bail was set at $11,442.

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To contact staff writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.

By Robyn Moormeister, robynm@theunion.com
November 19, 2005

A Penn Valley man was arrested early Friday morning after deputies reportedly found a cache of homemade weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car.

Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal said deputies stopped Michael Gordon, 25, at 1:43 a.m. for speeding and discovered he was out on bail for the charge of possessing a controlled substance.

During a search of Gordon's car, the deputies found a mini-stockpile of weapons.

A pistol and a wooden baseball bat lay on the passenger-side floorboards, two throwing knives were in the door panel, a can of pepper spray and a tire iron were lying under the driver's seat, while a double-edged survival knife and a wooden dowel wrapped in electrical tape were also found in the car, Royal said.

Deputies also allegedly found a plastic sandwich bag containing methamphetamine and a digital scale smeared with marijuana residue.

Royal said deputies did not know where Gordon was headed at the time of his arrest, but that he probably kept the weapons to aid in suspected drug transactions.

Gordon was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, committing a felony while out on bail, possession of a switchblade, driving with a suspended license, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of an illegal weapon.

Gordon was booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility with a bail amount of $11,020.

By Robin Moormeister
Staff writer
November 18, 2005

A Penn Valley man was arrested early Friday morning after deputies found a large cache of homemade weapons, drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car.

Deputies stopped Michael Gordon, 25, at 1:43 a.m. for speeding and discovered he was out on bail for the charge of possessing a controlled substance.

During a search of Gordon’s car, the deputies found a pistol, a wooden baseball bat, two throwing knives, a can of pepper spray, a double-edged survival knife and a wooden dowel wrapped in electrical tape.

The weapons were hidden throughout the vehicle, along with a plastic baggie of methamphetamine, a digital scale smeared with marijuana residue.

Gordon was booked into Nevada County Jail with a bail amount of $11,020.

By Dave Moller
Staff writer, davem@theunion.com
November 15, 2005

Christine Blankenship is very aware what methamphetamine addiction brings.

"I had never tried meth until I moved to Nevada County" about 13 years ago. As a single mom, "I met a man and he introduced me to it" - classic start-up behavior for female meth addicts.

Six years clean, Blankenship is now running two new transitional homes for recovering addicts in the area (see accompanying story).

"I was a yuppie housewife working two jobs, trying to support myself and my two kids, keep my house clean, and I wanted to party on the weekends," Blankenship said.

"I thought it was the answer to all my prayers. It worked for three months, and then it started causing problems in my life."

Those problems included domestic violence, staying up so long she couldn't stay awake at work, and lots of "tweakers" in and out of her house.

"You know, they talk about drug dealers," Blankenship said. "Everybody who had meth, sold meth. I didn't know anybody who didn't sell the drug."

Blankenship lost her home, her children, and saw one child go up for adoption. She got clean for one year, relapsed and applied for the county's drug court.

"I was on my way to prison," Blankenship said.

"They took a chance on me, and I've been clean ever since."

She reunited with her children and is now working with Community Resources Recovery, the transition home sponsors. She sees plenty of meth behavior in the community she left behind.

"Among housewives, it runs rampant," Blankenship said. "It's the whole thing of being thin."

To contact senior staff writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com or call 477-4237.

By Dave Moller, davem@theunion.com
November 15, 2005

A major drug treatment gap has been filled for Nevada County with the opening of two transition homes that can take clients through nine months of continuous care.

For a long time, addicts from here have gone through residential treatment experience that would put them back out on the streets in 90 days, often in the exact environment and people who fueled their addiction. The two transition homes would provide six more months to escape those environments.

"We feel like this is the missing piece between treatment and going out into the world," said Christine Blankenship, administrator of the homes for Community Resources Recovery. Those who make it through the transitional homes are eligible for outpatient treatment, which could take their care time up to one year to 15 months, Blankenship said.

"When people get out of residential treatment, they don't have a safe place to go," said Warren Daniels, executive director of CORR. "This was really needed in the community."

Finding help

To find out how to get into one of the new transitional houses or to get drug treatment in general, call Community Recovery Resources at 273-9541.

When Daniels took over CORR several years ago, the nonprofit had two transitional houses that were losing $2,000 per month. A decision was made to close them, or CORR would have to abandon services in Truckee entirely.

That saved the services in Truckee but introduced the transitional housing gap countywide. Daniels and CORR managed to land a loan for the two new houses, and they were purchased for $755,000. The state loan will be forgotten in 10 years if the transitional homes stay active, Daniels said.

Residents "have to be in treatment; they have to be clean and sober," Daniels said. "They can only stay for six months, so they have to hit the bricks running."

Helping them hit the bricks at the homes - one for men, one for women - will be Blankenship and Bob Rogers, two former addicts. They stop in sporadically during the day and even at night.

Last week, two women had already moved in. One is a former local nurse who lost family, home and children after shifting her pain pill addiction to methamphetamine. A photo on her dresser reveals an All-American looking family of just a few years ago.

The other woman is a longtime meth user who could not afford a decent place and kept finding herself in meth environments while trying to stay clean. She and others who do not need intervention treatment in a residential center are also eligible for the transitional houses.

"They all pay rent to some degree," Blankenship said, depending on how much help they're getting from drug programs in the county and job status. Clients have to sign in and out and are randomly drug-tested at the homes.

They are offered classes in parenting, anger management, life skills and literacy. The women can even have children living with them in the home.

"People who come in will have to sign a contract," Blankenship said. "Some will opt out when they realize it's not just a homeless shelter."

"We'll make sure they get life skills and money management class," Daniels said. "We've got the houses going; they should fill up in a month or so."

To contact senior staff writer Dave Moller, contact davem@theunion.com or call 477-4237.

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
November 11, 2005

A man who formerly interned counseling recovering drug addicts pleaded innocent Thursday to the latest methamphetamine charge against him.

Meanwhile, while a Nevada County judge reaffirmed a bail that had been set earlier, sending Dwaine Frye back to Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on a total bail of $1.5 million.

The total bail is for three felony drug cases pending against Frye, according to court documents.

Frye's lawyer, Public Defender Thomas Anderson, said Frye is innocent of the new charge. On Nov. 2, a Sheriff's deputy found half an ounce of meth hidden under the bumper of his truck.

The drug may have been placed there by someone else as part of a drug drop while Frye was in jail, or it may date from Frye's earlier dealing days, Anderson said.

"He's been testing clean ever since he got (of jail) in July," Anderson said. Before the latest arrest, Frye was being tested for drugs in his system several times each week, had been attending self-help meetings as often as twice a day, had been meeting regularly with his probation officer and was in daily contact with a person overseeing his recovery, Anderson said.

Frye was on his way to the county Probation Department to be tested when he was arrested Nov. 2, Anderson said. It was his fourth alleged drug offense since December.

Superior Court Judge Robert Tamietti had set bail at $500,000 in the latest arrest. Judge Sean P. Dowling on Thursday reaffirmed that amount after a jailhouse miscommunication had allowed Frye to be released on a lower amount.

As a result of that arrest, Judge John H. Darlington last week set bail at $1 million in two earlier cases involving drug possession, sale and transport, sending Frye back to jail. He remains in custody.

A preliminary hearing in the latest case is set for 9 a.m. Nov. 22.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
November 10, 2005

Two Sacramento men were in custody at the county jail Wednesday on suspicion of selling marijuana.

Deepak R. Singh, 26, and Ikwal J. Singh, 23, were stopped by a Nevada County Sheriff's deputy just before 10 p.m. Tuesday while they were driving south on Highway 49 near Streeter Road. The deputy stopped them because the license plate light on the rear of the vehicle was out, Sheriff Keith Royal said.

When he approached the vehicle, the deputy could smell the strong scent of marijuana smoke.

The deputy found several butts of marijuana cigarettes in the ashtray and a small bag of marijuana on the center console inside the vehicle. A search of the trunk turned up five more small bags, with a total of about two ounces of marijuana, Royal said.

Each of the bags found in the trunk had a name written on it, as if it were for delivery to a customer, Royal said.

When asked why out-of-area people would be selling drugs in Nevada County, Royal replied, "Individuals develop their own connections that they're comfortable dealing with. This is a little unusual because we do have a lot of marijuana locally," Royal said.

Both men were being held at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
November 9, 2005

A Grass Valley man arrested for methamphetamine possession and sale pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of having paraphernalia, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Matthew D. Davis, 23, did not have drugs on him or in his car, and he cooperated with police when he was arrested the night of Sept. 21, Nevada City lawyer Jennifer Walters said Tuesday.

However, a search of Davis' home afterward did reveal drug paraphernalia, Walters said.

When Davis appeared in court on the matter Nov. 3, Judge Sean P. Dowling dismissed the possession and sales charges. Davis pleaded guilty to a new charge of having paraphernalia.

Because Davis did not have any prior convictions for drugs or violent crimes, he qualified for the state's program of deferred sentencing.

Under that program, if the computer technician stays out of trouble for 18 months, the entire case is dismissed, Walters said.

The conditions of the program include completing a drug treatment program, paying the program fees and restitution, no new offenses and coming back to court for a review in six months.

Davis also will be on probation for two years.

However, if he violates any of those conditions, he will have to complete the sentence for the paraphernalia charge. That could be up to six months in jail and a fine of $1,000.

On that night, Davis had been giving a ride to Robert M. Kendall. Walters said. When an officer pulled Davis over, Kendall jumped out of the car and ran away. Police found him with about two ounces of crystal meth; they also found nearly $3,000 in cash on his person and at his home.

Kendall has been charged with possession, sale and transport of drugs, having prescription drugs illegally, resisting arrest and violating probation.

Kendall, 26, remains in Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. A hearing on his case was set for 10 a.m. Dec. 2.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
November 8, 2005

A man picked up in July in a Penn Valley methamphetamine raid was arrested again early Monday on a minor vehicle charge.

Bradley Stewart's two passengers, however, were both arrested on drug charges. All three people were booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility.

The arrests show the difficulty people face when trying to get off drugs, a county probation officer said.

A Nevada County Sheriff's deputy stopped Stewart, 25, at 1:50 a.m. on a suspected vehicle violation and found he was driving on a suspended license.

A fidgety passenger, 27-year-old Jaime Sauceda of Smartville, was found with nearly two grams of meth and a syringe. A second passenger, 21-year-old Natalia Voychik of Sacramento, was found to be under the influence of the drug, Sheriff Keith Royal said.

Stewart, who formerly lived in the Grass Valley area, told authorities he was unemployed and living in Auburn. He was booked on suspicion of driving on a suspended license and was released later Monday on a bond for bail of $1,020.

Sauceda, a construction worker, and Voychik, who is unemployed, both were booked on drug charges. Sauceda, who had additional felony warrants, remained in custody Monday in lieu of $20,000 bail.

In July, Stewart was among six people arrested when deputies raided an apartment in Penn Valley. He was charged with several felony and misdemeanor drug violations and felony child endangerment. In August, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence, the remaining charges were dismissed, and he entered the state's Proposition 36 drug rehabilitation program.

A standard part of the program's compliance includes obeying all laws, including driving laws. Monday's arrest does technically violate the terms of Stewart's probation, said Douglas Carver, chief probation officer for Nevada County Probation.

However, Carver was heartened that Stewart was not facing any drug charges in connection with the arrest. People going through the program have a hard time getting away from "the old neighborhood, the old friends, the old habits," he said.

"They have to make major life changes, and that includes changing friends," Carver said.

"That's difficult, especially when your whole social world revolves around this drug."

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

By Lindy J. Beatie
November 5, 2005

United Way of Nevada County thanks Supervisor Horne for her leadership role in requesting Congressman Doolittle's support of the "Combat Meth Act of 2005." This legislation will grant the use of federal funds to assist law enforcement, add pseudoephedrine to the Control Substance Act and amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to aid communities in developing programs.

Our communities, especially those in rural areas, need a comprehensive, national effort to help fight this encroaching menace. We applaud Supervisor Horne and the Board of Supervisors for their vision in this effort.

Lindy J. Beatie, Executive Director
United Way of Nevada County

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
November 5, 2005

A furious judge sent Dwaine Frye back to jail and reset his bail at $1 million when the man appeared in court Friday after his fourth drug-related arrest in less than a year.

Frye protested his innocence of the latest charge: possession of half an ounce of methamphetamine concealed in his truck. Nevada County Public Defender Tom Anderson said the drug did not belong to Frye, and he protested the unusually high bail.

But Superior Court Judge John H. Darlington told them they could take up both issues at a hearing set for 9 a.m. Wednesday.

"I have a (criminal) complaint that I have to assume is factually true," Darlington said from the bench. He also referred to Frye's recent history, which includes four methamphetamine-related arrests since December 2004.

Frye had stopped using drugs after a lifetime of addiction and began counseling other addicts as part of a county drug rehabilitation program. But he was arrested in December while still on probation, and was out on bail for the three subsequent drug arrests.

The latest arrest came Wednesday. Frye was booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility and bail initially was set at $26,000.

The deputy who arrested Frye then telephoned Judge Robert Tamietti, who verbally authorized an increase in Frye's bail to $500,000.

But the deputy faxed the information to the wrong fax machine. Frye was able to post a bond and get out of jail before the mistake was discovered, Darlington said.

"Given the amount of methamphetamine involved in these cases - 14 grams in this latest arrest ... he needs to be in custody," Darlington said. "He's had every opportunity, over and over, and each time he's thrown it back in our faces."

Darlington then invoked an earlier bail amount, which he personally had reduced in September, allowing Frye to get out after his third arrest: $1 million.

Courtroom visitors gasped and Frye protested.

"I've been tested three times this week. I was clean when they arrested me," said Frye, who was clean-shaven and wore a neat, cream-colored shirt. "I've done every single condition they've asked of me."

But Darlington remained unmoved. The court bailiff put handcuffs on Frye's wrists and led him out of the courtroom.

After the December arrest on suspicion of possession, sale and transportation of meth, Frye and his wife, Jeana Lavios Frye, each posted bond on $35,000 bail. They were arrested in April on the same charges and each posted bond on $50,000 bail.

In July, he was arrested again on the same charges. Bail was set at $500,000, and bail for the April arrest also was raised to $500,000, for a total of $1 million.

In September, Frye asked to be released on his own recognizance and for bail to be reduced. He argued that his wife was entering a drug rehabilitation program, that he needed to look after the couple's children, that he was employed and had a clean and sober friend who would look after him.

In his ruling Sept. 22, Darlington turned down the first request, but lowered the bail to $250,000, writing that the bail was "enormous."

At the December hearing, Darlington also will look into where Frye has obtained the money for his earlier bonds.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@the union.com or call 477-4231.

Trina Kleist
Staff writer, trinak@theunion.com
November 3, 2005

Nevada County sheriff’s deputies arrested Dwaine Frye on Wednesday, making it the former drug rehabilitation counselor’s fourth arrest on suspicion of methamphetamine possession since December.

The arrest came less than six weeks after Frye was released from jail. He posted bond and was released Sept. 23 from Wayne Brown Correctional Facility after a judge reduced his $1 million bail to $250,000.

Deputy Justin Martin was out on patrol Wednesday afternoon when he spotted Frye driving on McCourtney Road. Martin stopped Frye at Highway 49 and Empire Street, searched the man’s truck and found half an ounce of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle, said Sgt. Bill Evans of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force.

Frye was booked anew on suspicion of felony drug possession, possession for sale, transporting a drug and committing a felony while out on bail. He was also booked on suspicion of driving on a suspended license, according to a jail report.

The new bail was set at $26,020, but was expected to be increased later Wednesday evening.

After being a drug addict since his teens, Frye, 43, had appeared to clean up his habit. By 2003, he had become an intern who counseled others at the Nevada County Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery program.

But in December, he and his wife, Jeana Lavios Frye, were arrested on suspicion of meth possession and related charges. They were arrested again in April, and Dwaine Frye was arrested a third time in July. Each arrest came while Dwaine Frye was out on bail.

Through different legal maneuverings, Dwaine Frye’s bail was raised to $1 million on the combined cases, according to court documents.
But lawyers with the county Public Defender’s office argued in September that Frye had a steady job, children to support and sober people helping him to stay clean.

On Sept. 22, Superior Court Judge John H. Darlington reduced Frye’s bail to $250,000. “The bail in this case is enormous even by modern standards,” Darlington wrote in his ruling.

Darlington allowed Frye released on the condition that Frye meet daily with probation officers, attend daily 12-Step program meetings, submit to drug testing and be subject to search without a warrant, according to court records.

It was not known late Wednesday whether Frye had been meeting the conditions of his release prior to the most recent arrest.

The three previous cases had been combined into a single case and were scheduled to go to jury trial later this month.

To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.