Police: Suspect Had Over 1,000 Heroin Packets, Hid Some In His Body

BUTLER TOWNSHIP, PA — What started as a traffic stop ended with a man facing drug charges after police found over 1,000 packets of heroin in his vehicle.

Some of those packets were found in his rectum.

Oliver E. Rivera, 22, of Drums, faces charges of possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police say they stopped a vehicle that Rivera was driving at 12:35 a.m. on June 10 for traffic violations. During the stop, police say they observed indicators of drug trafficking and discovered more than 1,000 packets of heroin in Rivera’s vehicle.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/blotter-local-news/154077840/

2 Arrested After Shots Fired In Wilkes-Barre Tenant/Property Manager Dispute

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Two people were arrested after shots were fired during a landlord-tenant dispute, city police said.

An investigation of a report of shots being fired in the area of 113 Blackman St. early Friday afternoon revealed that the incident stemmed from an argument at 64 Bradford St., which is located nearby.

Police said Tanisha Goggins, 30, of 64 Bradford St., and her guest, Nicholas Crooks, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, had been involved in a dispute with Goggins’s property manager, and that Crooks allegedly pointed a gun at the property manager.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/blotter-local-news-news/154057141/

There’s A New Kind Of Heroin Called Amtrak, And Drug Dealers Are Pushing It In Lancaster, Police Say

Two Lancaster men were caught transporting a large amount of heroin into the county from Philadelphia, police say. And the drug was a new blend called “Amtrak” that’s been prevalent in the area.

Martin Ortiz, 37, of 505 Dauphin St., and Luis Antonio Aponte-Ortiz, 39, 504 New Dauphin St., Apt. 1, both were charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin and criminal conspiracy after a vehicle stop May 28 in Gap, according to Lancaster County Drug Task Force officials.

Investigators, armed with search warrants for Ortiz and his vehicle, stopped the car at Routes 30 and 41.

In the vehicle, officials said they found a plastic grocery bag behind the driver’s seat containing 21 “bricks” of heroin labeled “Amtrak.”

Read more:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/there-s-a-new-kind-of-heroin-called-amtrak-and/article_26ad67ac-0af9-11e5-9054-5ff8501a365b.html

N.J. Men Arrested With 11,000 Packets Of Heroin On I-78 In Lehigh County, Police Say

Two New Jersey men were jailed Thursday after an early-morning traffic stop on Interstate 78 West in Upper Macungie Township yielded more than 11,000 packets of heroin, Pennsylvania State Police report.

Shaheed Adrius Minus, 36, of East Orange, was driving a rented 2014 Dodge Avenger at 85 mph when he was pulled over at mile marker 49.9 in the township after first coming to troopers’ attention at 2:59 a.m. at mile marker 53 in South Whitehall Township, court papers said.

Read more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/index.ssf/2015/06/nj_men_arrested_with_11000_pac.html

Arrest Warrants Issued For 18 Street-Level Drug Dealers In Luzerne County

KINGSTON, PA — A year-long investigation of street-level illegal drug sales resulted in the arrest warrants for 18 people on Thursday.

Teams of undercover drug agents with the state Office of Attorney General and Luzerne County Drug Task Force and police in Edwardsville and Kingston swept the West Side serving arrest warrants at many residences, including one in Wilkes-Barre, beginning at 7 a.m.

As of late Thursday afternoon, 13 people were in custody.

After having their pictures and fingerprints taken at the Kingston Police Department, those arrested were taken one-by-one to be arraigned by District Judge Paul J. Roberts on drug trafficking offenses.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top-local-news-news/153232072/

Corrections Officer, Others Charged In Prison Drug-Smuggling Scheme

Eight people, including a Chester County correctional officer, inmates and their friends, have been arrested in an operation to smuggle drugs into the county prison, according to prosecutors.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office said the group concocted a scheme for the correctional officer to bring in heroin, prescription drugs and other contraband to inmates at the Chester County Prison.

Correctional Officer Douglas Keck, 45, would obtain the contraband from inmates’ friends outside of the detention facility, then bring the smuggled goods to the inmates, officials said. He was paid $100 per delivery.

“We expect members of the criminal justice system to keep drugs away from criminals, not act as an in-person drug dealer,” District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a statement.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150428_Corrections_officer__others_charged_in_prison_drug-smuggling_scheme.html#29ufP9sCum30fbyo.99

Blair County’s Operation Our Town Funds Law Enforcement And Rehab Efforts

In 2006, Michael A. Fiore was talking with a police officer about a shooting — the kind that never happened in Altoona before big-city drug dealers came to town.

The officer said his department didn’t even have bulletproof vests to wear on raids, Mr. Fiore recounted Tuesday. “I said, ‘Go out and get eight of them, and send me the bill.’”

Over the course of a year, that act of generosity morphed into the creation of Operation Our Town, in which Blair County business leaders pledge $10,000 each year to fight drugs.

Last year the organization backed Altoona’s schools, after school programs, youth sports groups, mentoring for first-time mothers and construction of a playground, among other efforts.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2014/12/01/Blair-County-s-Operation-Our-Town-funds-law-enforcement-and-rehab-efforts/stories/201411300093

John And Joyce Sheridan’s Son Charged With Cocaine Possession Day Of Deaths

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SKILLMAN, N.J. – Hours after Cooper Health System CEO John Sheridan and his wife, Joyce, were pulled from their fire-ravaged bedroom and pronounced dead Sept. 28, one of the couple’s sons was arrested for cocaine possession, police records show.

After authorities found cocaine in his car, Matthew Sheridan, 40, was arrested for third-degree cocaine possession. Police also arrested him for possession of drug paraphernalia for a digital scale and baggies. He lived at home with his parents.

The arrest was not made public at the time by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, which is handling the investigation into the Sheridans’ deaths. The Inquirer on Wednesday obtained the booking report, which documented the arrest, through an open public records request made to Montgomery Township.

Members of the Sheridan family declined to comment Wednesday on the arrest.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20141113_Sheridans__son_was_arrested_for_cocaine_after_deaths.html#u2RUP4xu78tmp8Cr.99

Police: Man Found Unresponsive In Cab Had Over $100,000 In Heroin

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HAZLE TOWNSHIP, PA — An unresponsive man in the back of a taxi cab awoke to a slew of charges after police say they found over $100,000 of heroin in his possession on Sunday morning.

According to police reports:

State police responded to assist EMS personnel at the Ramada Inn on North Church Street at 8:20 a.m. for a report of an unresponsive male in a taxi cab. When the 24-year-old man from Scranton was awoken by officers, he was found to allegedly be in possession of 3 ounces of raw heroin, a street value of approximately $5,000. The man was also found to allegedly have 10,280 glassine bags of heroine, with a street value of over $100,000.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/news/50578018/

York City Police Announce 11 Drug Arrests

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York City Police released more details Friday about an operation this week to arrest people facing drug charges.

Since Tuesday, 11 people have been taken into custody, according to a press release.

The alleged drug deliveries occurred during the past two weeks in the areas of Maple and Duke streets and Pine and Princess streets.

Read more: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/business/ci_26608732/york-city-police-announce-11-drug-arrests?source=most_viewed

Crack, Marijuana And Gun In Car Stopped At Sherman Hills

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WILKES-BARRE, PA — Police stopped a vehicle leaving Sherman Hills apartment around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and found crack, marijuana and a loaded short-barrel revolver.

According to police Taleek Sistrunk, 22 of 308 North Empire Street, drove the vehicle over a curb as it left the complex and had a rear brake light bulb out, prompting a traffic stop. As the officer approached, rear-seat passenger Jevaun Brown, 25 of 19 South Empire Street, was observed leaning over and shoving his hands under the driver’s seat.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50335432/

Mon Valley Narcotics Probe Leads To Multiple Arrests

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Allegheny County police announced 17 felony arrest warrants were obtained in connection with an eight-month narcotics investigation in the Mon Valley.

Suspects reside in McKeesport, White Oak, Glassport, Clairton, Jefferson Hills and the North Side of Pittsburgh, according to a county police news release.

County detectives made numerous buys of heroin and crack cocaine, resulting in the seizure of 5 ¹⁄₂ bricks of heroin, the release stated.

Nine of the 17 suspects were apprehended early on Friday by detectives and officers from the county, McKeesport and White Oak police departments; the other eight remained at-large as of presstime.

Read more: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/6545601-74/county-police-mckeesport#ixzz39FaD8NZU
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Four Nabbed In Canton Heroin Delivery Bust

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Suspect says she supplies ‘all of the kids,’ police say

TROY, PA – Four Canton residents have been jailed following a heroin delivery bust in the Canton area by the Bradford County Drug Task Force.

One of the women who was charged, Barbara Kennedy of Canton, told a police officer that she was the biggest heroin dealer in the area and supplied “all of the kids in the area,” according to court papers filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Wilcox of Troy.

Those charged include the following individuals:

– Barbara Christine Kennedy, 45, of East Tioga Street, Canton

– Samantha Lynn Laudenslager, 22, of East Tioga Street, Canton

– Thomas Rice, 58, of North Center Street, Canton

– Bobbi Rice, no age given, of North Center Street, Canton

Read more: http://thedailyreview.com/news/four-nabbed-in-canton-heroin-delivery-bust-1.1713141

44 Arrested In Brazen Heroin-Dealing Network In Monroeville

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Federal officials today announced charges against 44 people — all but one from Western Pennsylvania — who are accused of involvement in a heroin-dealing network that called itself “Bricks-R-Us” and even wore drug-themed T-shirts.

U.S. Attorney David Hickton said the crew worked the parking lots and bathrooms along the commercial district on Business Route 22 in Monroeville, sometimes wearing T-shirts featuring the motto “100 Bricks at a Time.” Brick is a slang term for a large quantity of heroin.

“They brazenly conducted most of their drug trafficking in the Monroeville business district,” said Mr. Hickton. “As of today, they are on the run, and headed out of business.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/05/29/Federal-officers-to-announce-arrests-in-major-drug-trafficking-ring/stories/201405290245#ixzz338mxKOOZ

Women Admit To Meth Production In Pottsville, Police Say

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Two women were in jail Tuesday on charges they were producing methamphetamine in a Pottsville home.

Margaret Ney, 61, of 218 N. 12th St., Pottsville, was arraigned on felony charges of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy, risking a catastrophe and liquefied ammonia gas-precursors and chemicals, along with misdemeanor offenses of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Jada McClure, 28, of 626 Wyoming St., Box 142, Tuscarora, was arraigned on felony charges of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and liquefied ammonia gas-precursors and chemicals; and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Pottsville police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said the arrests result from an active investigation officers were involved in, both criminal and for city code violations, including no electricity and no running water, at Ney’s home

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/women-admit-to-meth-production-in-pottsville-police-say-1.1686377

Police Raid York Corner Grocery For Drugs, Money And Guns

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Police seized thousands of dollars worth of heroin and other drugs, along with handguns and cash, in a raid at a York corner grocery store this week, officials said at a news conference Wednesday.

York City Police Chief Wes Kahley said police raided Miguel’s Deli and Grocery, 901 W. Princess Street, and Miguel Garcia’s home above it. They also arrested Sisdey Paz, of the 800 block of West Poplar Street.

“He was selling it out of the store,” York Detective First Class Andrew Shaffer said of Garcia. “He was selling about $1,000 a day of cocaine and heroin.”

Among items seized was a block of raw heroin worth about $100,000, 250 packets of individually packed heroin, $30,000 in cash, raw cocaine worth about $5,000, marijuana, anabolic steroids and three handguns, Kahley said.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/crime/ci_25618313/york-police-significant-heroin-arrest-made?source=most_viewed

Heroin, Gun Seized By Police In Wilkes-Barre

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WILKES-BARRE, PA — City police Anti-Crime Unit and state police Vice and Narcotics seized about 200 heroin packets, a loaded handgun with an altered serial number and a loaded rifle when they arrested three people from Philadelphia on drug trafficking offenses on Thursday.

Authorities said Marissa A. Ramos, 23, Jorge Esay Mojica, 23, and Bryan Mojica, 19, in a buy-bust operation on Scott Street.

A 9mm handgun and a semi-automatic rifle were found during the arrest. The rifle was reported stolen to the state police at Shickshinny.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1336598/Heroin-gun-seized-by-police

Heroin With $23,000 Street Value Seized, 2 Juveniles Arrested In Connellsville Bust

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Connellsville police reported on Friday that two juveniles were charged, and additional arrests are likely, following a drug bust that took about $23,000 worth of drugs off the streets.

“This was a big one,” city police Chief James Capitos said concerning the arrests of two male juveniles from McKeesport, with one having ties to Connellsville.

The origins of the arrests occurred on Wednesday afternoon when police pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver and passenger were found to be in possession of suspected drugs, and police reportedly were able to get information from where the drugs were purchased.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/fayette/5888773-74/capitos-heroin-police#ixzz2y41MkIk5
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Heroin With Street Value Of $20k Seized; Two People Arrested

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PLAINS TOWNSHIP, PA —A Harrisburg man is facing nearly 1,000 counts of scattering heroin packets along the North Crossvalley Expressway, state police at Wyoming said.

The docket sheet for Rashawn Collier is 52 pages listing 977 counts each of tampering with evidence and scattering rubbish when state police allege he tossed out 1,028 heroin packets from a vehicle during a pursuit.

Collier, 34 ,and Tasha C. McMurray, 26, of Passaic, N.J., were arrested after their vehicle was stopped near Exit 6 of the North Crossvalley Monday afternoon.

Read more:  http://timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/1233382/Heroin-with-street-value-of-$20k-seized;-two-people-arrested

Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Street Crimes Unit Nets Over 100 Arrests In Hazleton

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HAZLETON, PA — The state’s top cop came to Hazleton on Wednesday to trumpet the success of her Mobile Street Crimes Unit, which has netted more than 100 arrests and seized more than 35,000 packets of heroin in southern Luzerne County over the past five months.

Just in the last three days, state Attorney General Kathleen Kane said, agents made more than 40 arrests and seized 9,060 packets of heroin as part of Operation Rising Star — a moniker chosen by Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea.

Kane said Hazleton has been “a breeding ground” for the distribution of heroin, with interstates 80 and 81 nearby as a convenient pipeline to New York City and northern New Jersey suppliers.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1205689/Crimes-unit-nets-over-100-arrests-in-Hazleton-area