POLICE DENT HEROIN SALES

Officers Act On Warrants, Halt Drug Exchange Friday Morning

ALBANY -- Local law enforcement officials say they're hopeful they
have put a dent in the sale of heroin in the city.

Friday morning, three Albany police cars and a Linn County sheriff's
patrol car rolled into the Swanson Park neighborhood. Officers spread
out to three houses, looking to arrest people on drug warrants.

Bruce Gordon Augustine, 46, was at one of the houses and was arrested
on suspicion of possession and delivery of heroin.

Two others were arrested Friday after turning themselves in to
police. Tobi Alisa Draper, 44, was charged with possession and
delivery of heroin, and Julian Lacy Burr, 18, was accused of
possession of cocaine.

Five others have been arrested in recent months during an ongoing
investigation into the sale of heroin around Swanson Park, 712 Jackson St. S.E.

Justin Nagel, 33, and Steven Gale Draper, 50, have been indicted by a
grand jury and are wanted by police. As of Friday afternoon, they had
not been arrested.

The investigation began in February as a result of complaints of drug
activity near the park, said Capt. Eric Carter of the Albany Police Department.

Since April, the Linn Drug Task Force, which includes members of the
Linn County Sheriff's Office and Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home
police departments, has executed three search warrants in the Swanson
Park neighborhood. Those searches led to a fourth search at a west
Albany residence. Investigators say they also interrupted a heroin
sale at the park.

Detectives have seized about three-quarters of an ounce of heroin,
3.2 grams of cocaine, more than $1,500 in U.S. currency, and various
records, scales and packaging materials.

An Albany police detective spent at least 200 hours on the case.
Altogether, the agencies involved might have put as many as 1,000
hours of work into the investigation, according to police.

"It's a good example of how much time and effort it takes for an
investigation," Carter said.

"We're seeing a resurgence in heroin in Albany," Carter said. He said
he didn't know the reason, but the drug was becoming much more prevalent.

"Our hope is this will make at least a dent in the problem," Carter said.

Police said information from neighbors helped get the investigation
started. Police will continue to monitor the neighborhood.

Anyone with concerns or information about drug activity in any Albany
neighborhood can contact the Albany Police Department at 917-7680 or
fill out a form at www.cityofalbany.net/police.