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/

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/

Turkey Hill Robberies In Wilkes-Barre Area Raise Security Questions

Sheetz, a popular convenience chain in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is open all night year round. Yet it seems rare that the chain’s stores get robbed.

The same can’t be said, however, for Turkey Hill stores in the Wyoming Valley.

There have been 10 robberies at Turkey Hill stores in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston since Jan. 26, of which three of those robberies happened last week.

What’s the difference?

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top-local-news-news/152453142/

Kingston Police Arrest Two Men For Turkey Hill Robbery

KINGSTON, PA — Police arrested two men from Plymouth on charges they robbed the Turkey Hill store on Rutter Avenue as Wilkes-Barre police are expected to file similar charges for a robberies at Turkey Hill stores in the city.

Police allege Robert Maurer, 31, and Richard Huften, 35, conspired to rob the store on Rutter Avenue early Wednesday morning.

The two men are believed to be suspects in the heists at Turkey Hill stores on East Main Street and Hazle Avenue Tuesday night.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152447932/

Three Wyoming Valley Turkey Hill Stores Targeted Overnight

KINGSTON, PA — Three Turkey Hill stores in the Wyoming Valley were targets of robbers Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

Two stores in Wilkes-Barre and a store in Kingston were held up.

Here are the reported robberies by police in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston.

• Tuesday, 9:30 p.m., Turkey Hill, 335 E. Main St., Wilkes-Barre: A white man armed with an undisclosed weapon entered the store and demanded money from a clerk. City police considered the suspect armed and dangerous. The suspect is in his 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, thin build, fair skin, and wore a grey hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and dark colored jogging pants.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152424848/

Heroin, Handguns Seized During Traffic Stop

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

KINGSTON, PA — Police seized a large amount of heroin and two handguns during a traffic stop where one of two men used a state Department of Corrections identification card to identify himself, according to charges filed.

Police said they stopped a Lincoln for heavily tinted windows on Market Street early Thursday morning.

During the stop, an odor of marijuana was detected coming from the car that was rapidly shaking side-to-side due to movements inside the vehicle, police said.

Police said Braemar Omir Parrish, 28, of Allentown, used a state prison card to identify himself.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/50099364/Heroin-handguns-seized-during-traffic-stop#.U-O8efRDsxI

Arby’s Closings Leave Employees Jobless

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ashley Douglas was depending on her next paycheck from her job at Arby’s to catch up with her rent.

But the single mother of three children will have to find another way to pay her bills. Douglas, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, who worked at the Wyoming Valley Mall Arby’s, was among dozens of employees at six Arby’s restaurants in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania who lost their jobs when the businesses closed on Friday.

That was the same day the franchise owner’s Chapter 7 liquidation was approved in federal court.

“That was the only job I was working at for right now,” said Douglas, who is separated and raising her children, ages 7, 4 and 3. “I’m depending on that. I’m trying to find something else. I still owe my landlord the rest of the rent for this month … If I don’t get something to pay for my rent, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/302844/Arbys-closings-leave-employees-jobless

Police Say Duo Had More Than 300 Packets Of Heroin

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

KINGSTON, PA — A New Jersey man and his homeless associate were arrested Friday in a drug bust in which police seized more than 300 packets of heroin.

Kingston police say they received a phone call Friday morning from a confidential informant, who told them a drug deal was about to take place on Wright Avenue. The informant provided a description of the suspects and the vehicle — a red Jeep Cherokee — that would be involved.

Plain clothes detectives from the Kingston Police Narcotics Unit established surveillance in the area and saw a male fitting the description of one of the males provided by the informant in the area of Wright Avenue and Pierce Street not long after 12:30 p.m.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1100762/Police-say-duo-had-more-than-300-packets-of-heroin

Luzerne County Interested In West Side COG

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

The West Side Council of Governments could soon expand into a dramatically different political body.

Luzerne County and the City of Nanticoke have voiced interest in joining the COG that was created by 12 West Side communities.

Eileen Cipriani, COG president, said COG members have agreed to allow Nanticoke to join the police equipment project and the COG will vote on the membership request at the next meeting.

Robert Lawton, county manager, attended the recent meeting held at Kingston fire headquarters and said he would like to look for ways for the county to work with the COG. He expressed interest in the county joining the COG.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/county-interested-in-west-side-cog-1.1605533

600 Heroin Packets Seized, Hazleton Man Arrested

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

KINGSTON, PA — An intensified search in the Kingston area for an alleged heroin dealer ended with the man’s capture Wednesday night.

Arial “Shorty” Alvarez, 28, of North Manhattan Court, was apprehended when he was spotted walking in the area of Pierce Street and Warren Avenue, about two hours after he allegedly sold about 600 heroin packets, authorities said.

Drug agents with Kingston police and Luzerne County Drug Task Force set up to buy heroin from a man known as “Shorty,” later identified as Alvarez just after 8 p.m.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/984891/600-heroin-packets-seized-Hazleton-man-arrested

Kingston Police Arrest Man On Heroin Charges; Find Lackawanna County Sheriff Badge

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

KINGSTON, PA — Police arrested a man they allege sold heroin and detained another man who was in possession of a Lackawanna County Special SheriffDeputy badge on Tuesday.

Drug agents allegedly bought heroin from Barry James Gately, 44, on Oct. 9 and 11. When police searched Gately’s residence at 380 Wright Ave., he wasn’t there.

Gately and Mark Broody, age and address unknown, entered the residence through a rear door as police were inside the house, according to charges filed.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/909676/Kingston-police-arrest-man-on-heroin-charges;-find-Lackawanna-County-sheriff-badge

Two Arrested In Kingston Drug Raid

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

KINGSTON, PA — Police and agents with the Luzerne County Drug Task Force arrested two people Friday when they allegedly attempted to flee a Market Street residence with a large amount of heroin and crack cocaine.

Authorities knocked on the door at 476 Market St. just before noon as Kevin A. Klass, 25, and Shannon Morton, 35, attempted to escape out the front door. Klass and Morton were stopped on the front porch, where they encountered a police sergeant and a canine, police said.

Klass allegedly had 171 heroin packets stamped “Superman,” eight bags of crack cocaine and $750 cash.  Morton allegedly had a heroin packet hidden in her mouth, police said.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/849053/

Two Women Arrested On Heroin Delivery Charges

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

KINGSTON, PA – Drug agents with the Luzerne County Drug Task Force and police in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre arrested two women on charges they sold heroin.

Tiara McDuffie, 22, of Building 324 Sherman Hills apartment complex, Wilkes-Barre, and Shantique Goodson, 27, of 7 N. Meade St., Wilkes-Barre, were arrested Wednesday after they allegedly sold heroin in the area of Schuyler Avenue and West Market Street.

Authorities set up to buy 99 heroin packets from McDuffie and Goodson, according to a news release.

The heroin packets were stamped “Aftershock.”

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/791466/Two-women-arrested-on-heroin-delivery-charges

Arrest In Wilkes-Barre Shooting

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

WILKES-BARRE, PA – City police arrested Andre D. Fuller, 22, of Kingston, on criminal attempt to commit homicide charges in the shooting that left a 19-year-old man in critical condition earlier this month.

Police allege Fuller shot William “Chilly” Uggiano, of Park Avenue, multiple times in the area of South Grant and Wayne streets on Aug. 3.

Uggiano’s family previously said he was walking to a friend’s house for a party when he was gunned down.

Uggiano survived the shooting and remains hospitalized.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/782604/Arrest-in-Wilkes-Barre-shooting

Metal Flood Gates Saved Kingston

KINGSTON – Mayor James Haggerty said portable metal flood gates installed at the Market Street Bridge saved the municipality from the swollen Susquehanna River.  Kingston officials spray painted a white high-water mark on the side of the wall near the Market Street Bridge.

Kingston Mayor James Haggerty and Kingston Emergency Management Coordinator Tom McTague look over the dirt and rock that Kingston dumped near the flood gates to help stop leaks at their base.  But not before a few tense hours late Thursday night into Friday morning.   

“The river at its worse was 8 or 9 feet up on those gates for us,” Haggerty said. “The pressure from the river was gushing out under, almost shooting straight out under the gates.”
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Mayor__Portable_flood_gates_saved_Kingston_09-11-2011.html#ixzz1XfCdEA00