Heroin Use In Laramie Gets National Attention

Laramie made page four of Reddit News today with an article from GQ.com, but not for a reason that may bring good publicity. The article “Mainline Street” by Sean Flynn highlights how rampant heroin use has become in Laramie and other parts of southern Wyoming.

In the four page article, the criminal past of Ory Joe Johnson is brought to the surface. Johnson, from Torrington, was arrested in Laramie in 2012 on an assault charge. A warrant yielded amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy in his vehicle.  After a failed attempt to flee the country and the involvement of Federal prosecutors, he was sentenced to four years from Federal court and 4-5 years in Wyoming, to be served concurrently.

The story is a fascinating one, detailing how a young man with a bright future got involved in the dark business of dealing drugs.

While almost unheard of in Laramie only five years ago, the number of cases involving heroin has increased dramatically over the last couple of years. The GQ article says there have been about 11 heroin cases involving approximately 50 defendants since 2013. The effects of a drug like heroin entering southern Wyoming are clear. According to GQ, there have been at least 18 fatal overdoses of heroin in Southern Wyoming since January 2010, up from zero in years before.

Laramie is no stranger to making national headlines, but is any news truly good news? What do you think about this article bringing Laramie to national attention, yet again?

Let us know what you think in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.