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/

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

Cops: Edwardsville Man Stashed 95 Heroin Packets In His Anus

KINGSTON, PA — A man from Edwardsville removed a plastic baggie allegedly containing 95 heroin packets from his anus because he wanted to be “honest” with police, according to charges filed.

Dwight Ahmah Moses, 35, of Green Street, was arraigned Thursday by District Judge Joseph Carmody in West Pittston on two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.

Police stopped Moses on West Market Street at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday after he failed to use turn signals when pulling away from the area of Schuyler Avenue. Police had watched Moses sitting in the car as a woman entered and exited within five minutes before the traffic stop, according to the criminal complaint.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/153094429/

Hundreds Of Heroin Packets, Gun Seized From Plymouth Residence

PLYMOUTH, PA— Police confiscated more than 600 heroin packets and a handgun during the arrest of three people Thursday night.

Police arrested Pedro Manuel Noriega, 41, of West Main Street, Plymouth, and Jason Demski, 32, address listed as homeless, when they allegedly arrived at a residence on James Street to deliver heroin.

Noriega allegedly had 125 heroin packets and Demski had nearly $500 in his pockets, police said.

Read more:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152990273/

Heroin Found In Dough At Hazle Township Commercial Bakery

HAZLE TOWNSHIP, PA — Heroin packets were found on dough being processed on a production line at Aryzta, a commercial baker of breads and donuts, earlier this week, state police at Hazleton said.

State police in a news release said an employee checking dough on a production line to a sheet dough machine found a suspected heroin packet at about 6 p.m. Monday.

The employee notified a shift supervisor as production was stopped and inspected. Other suspected heroin packets and drug paraphernalia were found inside the dough machine, state police said.

State police said Aryzta, based in Zurich, Switzerland, stopped production on the dough machine and destroyed all the products.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152605611/

Heroin, Cash Seized, 3 People Arrested In Drug Investigations

HAZLETON, PA — Three people face drug charges and cash and drugs were seized in two separate investigations Thursday, police said.

In one of the cases, a woman trying to flee police struck an undercover vehicle, police said.

Police identified the woman as Passion Tairi Flores, 24, of West Birch Street.

According to police: A controlled drug buy with Flores was arranged near the intersection of North Locust and Third streets at approximately 5 p.m. As officers closed in on Flores, she accelerated her vehicle and tried to get away, striking an undercover vehicle and preventing her escape. Flores and her passenger, Anthony Morales Jr. 22 of Brooklyn, New York were arrested. Approximately $900 in cash and 220 packets of heroin were seized from her vehicle.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/152497462/

32 Arrested, Including 4 Alleged Drug Pushers, In Norristown Drug Operation

NORRISTOWN, PA – Two phone calls months apart from each other allowed investigators to link together two drug rings that delivered crystal meth and heroin to the streets of Norristown and other parts in southeastern Pennsylvania.

District Attorney Risa Ferman announced Wednesday the arrest of 32 people, including four major alleged drug pushers, in Norristown in a joint operation appropriately dubbed “Operation Snow and Ice Removal.”

“This is a series of drug trafficking arrests that have been made in two overlapping drug trafficking rings that relate to the sale of crystal meth, heroin and cocaine, primarily in Norristown but with tentacles in southeast Pennsylvania,” Ferman said at a press conference.

Read more:

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150225/32-arrested-including-4-alleged-drug-pushers-in-norristown-drug-operation

Two Nabbed In Wilkes-Barre Drug Raid; Home Shut Down

Two men face multiple drug charges following a raid at a Wilkes-Barre home on Thursday.

Wilkes-Barre police and state police executed a search warrant at 284 N. Washington St. at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, police said in a news release.

Police said they found “distribution quantities” of cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the home and arrested Louis Soto, 25, and Brian Lulewicz, 30. The men were taken into custody without incident, police said. An investigation by city and state police revealed that the two men were selling large quantities of heroin and cocaine from the residence and were armed, according to police.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/two-nabbed-in-w-b-drug-raid-home-shut-down-1.1822054

Man Stopped On I-80 Found With 150 Bags Of Heroin In Rectum

An Altoona man had 150 bags of heroin stashed in his rectum and had to have the drugs removed at a hospital, according to state police at Hazleton.

Dennis L. Vanriper was a passenger in a vehicle that troopers stopped for several traffic violations on Interstate 80 west in Nescopeck Township at about 3 a.m. Friday, police said.

Read more: http://standardspeaker.com/news/man-stopped-on-i-80-found-with-150-bags-of-heroin-in-rectum-1.1806894

Police: Twice-Convicted York City Drug Dealer Caught With $24K In Heroin

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting York County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A twice convicted York City drug dealer is back in prison after York City narcotics officers raided his home Thursday and seized nearly $24,000 worth of raw heroin, according to police.

“That’s a significant amount,” city Detective First Class Andrew Shaffer said.

Plus, that heroin likely would have been “stepped on,” or cut, he said, which could as much as double its value. The $23,900 worth of heroin was all “raw,” or loose, meaning it still needed to be bagged, Shaffer said.

“Five years ago, we just didn’t see raw heroin like that,” he said. “And we see it constantly now.”

Read more: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_26906554/police-twice-convicted-york-city-drug-dealer-caught

Authorities: Heroin Problem In Region Will Only Get Worse

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Heroin is affecting the region at epidemic levels and the problem is only expected to get worse, law enforcement officials told the Pennsylvania Economy League at a meeting Friday afternoon.

The drug is selling on the cheap, and addicts — many of whom got started by legitimately using prescription painkillers — are bringing a plague of crime to the area, West Hazleton Police Chief Brian Buglio said. Almost all robberies, thefts and assaults in the Hazleton area have a drug or gang nexus, he said.

“Heroin is terrifying, and it’s only going to get worse, unfortunately,” Buglio said during the meeting at Best Western Genetti Hotel and Conference Center.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/authorities-heroin-problem-in-region-will-only-get-worse-1.1784687

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

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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/

More Than 1,000 Heroin Packets Seized During Butler Township Traffic Stop

English: Map of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania highlighting Butler Township (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BUTLER TWP., PA— State police at Hazleton said they recovered 1,073 heroin packets in a plastic shopping bag stuffed under the driver’s seat of a vehicle stopped on state Route 309 early Tuesday morning.

Raheem Harris, 37, of East Orange, New Jersey, was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, false identification to law enforcement and driving without a license. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/50323393/More-than-1000-heroin-packets-seized

Community Tips, Cooperation Behind Drug Crackdown In Phillipsburg

Map of New Jersey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It started with concerned residents reaching out to police.

It ended with nearly two dozen arrests.

A recent drug crackdown in Phillipsburg and 10-day roundup of alleged dealers and users was a team effort, police Chief James Faulborn said last week. Community members relayed tips and information, authorities followed up with “basic police work” and nearby police departments offered a helping hand.

“It was a collaborative effort with us reaching out to the community and the community responding with information,” he said. “Working together with the community and other law enforcement agencies, we were able to execute search warrants and arrest warrants and take the necessary action.”

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2014/09/community_cooperation_behind_d.html

Attorney General Drops Charges Against ‘Upper-Level’ Heroin Dealers

A state prosecutor withdrew charges against both men accused of being “upper-level heroin dealers,” updated court records show Wednesday.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Mark Serge asked a judge on Monday to drop the charges of corrupt organization, drug possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy, drug possession and illegal possession of a firearm against James Perrin, 35.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6686812-74/charges-attorney-general#ixzz3BbqGOrPZ
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Two Charged After Police Raid Wilkes-Barre Home

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wilkes-Barre police say they seized major amounts of heroin, cocaine and marijuana when they raided a Sullivan Street home that was protected by a pistol loaded with “cop killer bullets.”

Larry “TAZ” Hayes, 26, and Disean Kendricks, 24, both of 70 Sullivan St., are charged with drug trafficking and weapons possession offenses, police said.

The Wilkes-Barre Police Anti Crime Unit and Wilkes-Barre Drug Task Force raided their home at about 6 a.m. Saturday after an investigation revealed they had been dealing heroin and cocaine out of the house, police said.

Though both men were armed, they were arrested without incident, police said.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/two-charged-after-police-raid-w-b-home-1.1741657

Cops: Man Hands Them Pot At Sherman Hills, Leads Them On High-Speed Chase

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE — A New Jersey man faces a slew of charges and bail of $250,000 after he allegedly led police on a high-speed chase from the Sherman Hills apartment complex following a traffic stop.

Officers conducted a traffic stop on Bradley Ercel Burgess, of Bergin Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey, just after 7 p.m. Wednesday near Coal Street and Logan Court and detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from Burgess’ vehicle, police said.

Police asked Burgess what he was doing in Sherman Hills, and he told them he was visiting a friend. When asked if he had any marijuana in the vehicle, Burgess allegedly handed an officer a cigar packet and stated that it contained a small bag of marijuana, police said.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50184160/Man-arrested-after-high-speed-chase-from-Sherman-Hills#.U_iwJPRDsxI