ladyjane

I've been reading this thread for quite some time and I've never read anything like this.


Yesterday my 22 year old daughter called me practically hysterical. She'd just gotten home from school with my 6 mo old granddaughter and 3 yr old grandson. A bunch of guys in swat team gear (she says about 12 or 15) complete with guns stormed our house. The leader showed her a search warrant. Didn't let her hold it, held it out of reach.
They proceeded to ransack my house and got angry when they didn't find anything.
They we're supposed to leave a copy of the warrant and every time my d asked for it the leader gave an excuse. They never left one.
I called the Sheriff's Dept. and they said they have no record of anything like that happening in my area.

My question is this WTF?

We've all discussed it and agree that ad's boyfriend, who vowed revenge, came up with this little scenario when he went to jail on Tues. I'm sure he tested positive for pot and I'm also sure he's something of a narc. The leader said someone had bought pot from our house within the last 24 hours. I think that maybe they didn't bother to get a judge to sign the search warrant and thats why they didn't leave our copy.
It smacks of a conspiracy to me. Going to a clean house with no judge's sig. can't be good. It makes me wonder about the good sense of the people who are supposed to be protecting us.
In case your wondering my daughter who was home at the time doesn't tell tall tales.
She's going to college and is very dependable. She said no one gave their name and she was so scared and upset she didn't ask!

I know this story is weird. I can hardly believe it myself. But I truly think my ad's abusive abf caused this to happen. Everytime I think of it my stomach ties up in knots. If he'd go to these lengths what else might he do?
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Trish

marle

Could your AD be involved. Sent people into the house looking for things to steal to pawn for drugs. Just a thought. Either way have you reported it to the police. Sounds like illegal entry to me. Sorry that your family had to go through this. Sounds pretty scary to me. In the future your daughter does not have to let anyone in until they provide a proper search warrant. Hope things have settled down and sending you some hugs and prayers. Marle

ladyjane

Marle
They had a search warrant. My daughter could see the address on it. They wouldn't let her touch it.
They had on bullet proof vests and on the back of their shirts was AFT(alcohol, firearms and tobacco). They had guns and rifles.
I called the deputy sherriff and he said they didn't have any record of this happening. Sure my ad could be involved. She's still in jail and was supposed to call me last night, but I guess her social calendar was too full.
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Trish

caileesnana

ATF wouldn't be through the local police, they are there own division, I think. Like the FBI, CIA, DEA, etc. The are a branch of the federal govt. That may be why the city has no idea what is going on.

ladyjane

The atf has to let the county sheriff's office know if something is going on.
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Trish

MsPINKAcres

wonder if the local media could find out what went on? One of our local stations has a reporter that does a segment "Help me Rhonda" where she does investigating on things that just don't seem right, but the general public has not been able to get to the bottom of it.

Of course - this is only if you want to pursue it.

Most of all I wanted to say I hate so much that your family had to go thru this horrible experience - especially the little ones - how scary for them.

ladyjane

I feel violated and the fact that they convieniently forgot to leave our copy of the warrant really bothers me. i don't know who to trust anymore. I guess I'm waiting to see what ad and abusive abf will come up with next.
You know all my husband and I ever did for them was help them. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.
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Jwife22

I suppose I would call the sheriff's department and have them come out there and file a report for breaking and entering and the like.......heck....if they play that game, I would too.

Mertzie

Wow, ladyjane, WTF is right! I don't blame you for feeling violated. How frightening that must have been for your daughter and the grandkids. Maybe you could lookup the ATF field office for your area at atf.gov. It is really strange though. I can't imagine why ATF would even be involved on suspicion of marijuana sales. Makes me wonder if it was some kind of scam pulled by abf or ad to scare you or get revenge, or to look for stuff to steal and pawn, as marle suggested.

ladyjane

We were supposed to go out of town for my birthday this week end but now I'm afraid to leave the house.
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Trish

ladyjane

I guess they felt really foolish to come to my little house and find nothing. All bang and no buck, yes?
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Trish

frankie_b

I'd feel violated and scared too lady. What an ordeal. ATF is federal. They would have had to received a report from someone marijuana had been sold out of your house
in the last 24 hours in order to search as they did. Not leaving a copy of the search warrant is wrong. The feds are tough though, alot tougher than local police.

My concern for you is you cannot afford to have any addict persons with drugs or paraphanalia in your home.
If drugs are ever found in your home, you will be held accountable. You will face charges.
I'm so sorry this happened. Chances are good they will not return since they now know with certainty
no drugs are in or sold from your house. If they listened to some druggie jailed narc they're foolish and his credibility is zero. There's no way some addicts impersonated ATF looking for stuff to take at a later date.

Lovestoomuch

It's my understanding that the ATF won't just go into a home like that without an extensive investigation. If they went barging in on every home they got a tip on, there would be doors knocked down all over the place and some serious law suits. I don't know.........sounds a little off to me.

The local sherrif told me that even if they know someone is dealing drugs they can't make an arrest unless the drugs are on that person and they can't just go in and arrest them because they "suspect" that person is carrying. The department down here is completely beside themselves over the matter, but their hands are tied.

BigSis

How do you know any of them are who they said they were?

Because they were dressed in riot gear? Heck - go to any paintball field and you will see similar gear.

Whatever they did, it was illegal. If you don't file a police report, they might decide to try it again - with you, or with someone else.

IF they are somehow legit, the police report might bring to light some illegal action by folks who should know better.

If there was no signature on the warrant, it ain't legal.

ladyjane

That's just it. I don't. I did call the sheriff's office and they we're very unhelpful as to what I should do.
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Trish

Wascally Wabbit

Forgot to leave a copy of the warrent, ransacked the house? Sounds like it's time to go to the police and actually file a complaint against the ghost team who did all this.

frankie_b

It's just too strange. Why would ATF impersonators do such a thing?
In any case, filing a police report is a good idea.

Lovestoomuch

Or just go directly to the source. Call the ATF directly.......or Homeland Security. I'm not sure if the ATF is a division of Homeland or not.

Lovestoomuch

I found this list of phone numbers. I don't know if it will be of any help or not, but it may be a start.
Washington Field Division: 202-648-8010
*******, VA 276-466-2727
Charlottesville, VA (Satellite Office) 434-970-3872
Falls Church, VA (Group I Arson) 703-287-1110
Falls Church, VA (Group II) 703-287-1120
Falls Church, VA (Group III - Industry Operations) 703-287-1130
Martinsburg, WV, LE 304-616-4130
Martinsburg, WV (Satellite Office - Industry Operations) 304-616-4130
Norfolk, VA 757-616-7400
Norfolk, VA (Satellite Office - Industry Operations) 757-616-7400
Richmond, VA (Group I) 804-200-4200
Richmond, VA (Group II - Industry Operations) 804-200-4141
Richmond, VA (Group III) 804-775-4200
Roanoke, VA 540- 983-6940
Roanoke, VA (Satellite Office - Industry Operations) 540-983-6944
Washington, DC (Group I) (HIDTA) 202-305-8189
Washington, DC (Group II) (Firearms Trafficking) 202-648-8105
Washington, DC (Group III) (VCIT-Violent Crime Impact Team) 202-648-8090
Washington, DC (Group IV)
Intelligence/Regional Crime Gun Center 202-648-8100

Lovestoomuch

Heres some numbers to the DEA division in your area. If it were drugs they were looking for, the DEA would have been the ones who did this....not the ATF. It's really starting to look like some serious sickos did this and no one in law enforcement. I would call and report this right away.
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 305-8500



Media Contact: (202) 305-8170
To report a tip call: (202) 305-8500
Special Agent Recruiter Contact: (202) 305-8126 or 8144
Doctor/Physician related
Diversion questions: (202) 305-8137
Drug Prevention Coordinator: (202) 305-8639



FIELD OFFICES:
Baltimore, MD — (410) 244-3500 *******, VA — (540) 466-8802
Charleston, WV — (304) 347-5209 Clarksburg, WV — (304) 623-3700
Hagerstown, MD — (301) 223-1680 Hampton, VA — (757) 825-5799
Norfolk, VA — (757) 314-2200 Richmond, VA — (804) 627-6300
Roanoke, VA — (540) 857-2555 Salisbury, MD — (410) 860-4800
Wheeling, WV — (304) 230-6092 Winchester, VA — (540) 662-5879