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/

Wilkes-Barre Stabbing Suspect Arrested

A Wilkes-Barre man was detained in central Pennsylvania on Sunday following a motor vehicle crash for his alleged involvement in a double stabbing that occurred a few hours prior.

William MacBlain, 29, was taken into custody for reportedly stabbing his roommate, Howard Jakaboski and Jakaboski’s girlfriend Nicole Schneider on Sheridan Street early Sunday morning, police said.

According to an affidavit filed by city police, a report came in around 7:30 a.m. of a male covered in blood standing on the front porch of 77 Sheridan St. Police said his face was entirely covered from an apparent head injury.

The male victim, Jakaboski, told police that his roommate, MacBlain, entered his bedroom while he and his girlfriend, Schneider, were sleeping. Jakaboski said MacBlain began to stab both victims multiple times until the knife broke, according to a report.

Read more:  http://citizensvoice.com/news/wilkes-barre-stabbing-suspect-arrested-1.1875356

Wilkes-Barre Shooting Victim Spoke Out About Drug House

WILKES-BARRE, PA — A mechanic who frequently reported criminal activity near his home was gunned down in front of his residence on Willow Street early Friday morning.

Neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots just after 3:30 a.m. in the area of 62 Willow St., where police found the body of 49-year-old Donald Bachman Jr.

Bachman was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:25 a.m. by Luzerne County Deputy Coroner Tom Moran.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Mary Pascucci revealed Bachman died of multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide, Moran said.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top-local-news/153245723/

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/

Police: Woman Tried To Smuggle Heroin Into Prison In Body Cavity

A Delaware County woman is behind bars on a quarter million dollars bail after police say she tried to smuggle heroin into the State Correctional Institution at Dallas on Sunday.

Police said Julia Rose Lee Thornton, 26, of Collingdale, was caught with of 41 bags of heroin after her car was stopped as she entered the prison’s visitor parking lot.

Investigators said Thornton initially was caught with 12 bags, but they were able to seize 29 more she had hidden in a body cavity and tried to flush down a toilet.

Thornton faces charges of illegal drug possession as well as possessing contraband on prison grounds.

Read more:

http://citizensvoice.com/news/police-woman-tried-to-smuggle-heroin-into-prison-in-body-cavity-1.1871141

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/

Homeless Man Charged With Homicide With Fatal Stabbing At Interfaith Heights Apartments

WILKES-BARRE, PA — City police charged a homeless man with fatally stabbing a homeless activist inside an apartment at Interfaith Heights earlier this year.

Matthew Vantine, 27, was charged with criminal homicide in the death of 53-year-old Bryan “Hippie” Hogan.

Hogan’s body was found inside his apartment on Jan. 30.

Vantine said he didn’t kill Hogan, saying “He was a good man.”

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top/152959164/

Wilkes-Barre Man Charged With Ransacking Interfaith Heights Apartment After Body Removed

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Dominick Meininger told police he’s no snitch.

Meininger, 19, allegedly admitted to stealing wine and prescription medications from an apartment at Interfaith Heights after the tenant was found dead in the residence on March 10. But Meininger, of East Northampton Street, denied he had stolen jewelry and a television, according to charges filed.

Meininger was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Martin Kane on charges of burglary, possessing instruments of crime and theft. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $20,000.

The alleged burglary was not the first incident involving Meininger at Interfaith Heights on Coal Street.

Read more:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152813436/

Two Wilkes-Barre Police Officers Assaulted By Drunken Driver

WILKES-BARRE, PA — A city police officer sustained a possible broken nose and another officer was punched in the face while arresting a suspected drunken driver early Sunday morning.

The incident happened on South Main Street near Ross Street when officers Daniel Roper and Erica Oswald stopped Steven Santiago, 33, for driving a vehicle without headlights.

During the traffic stop, Santiago exhibited signs of intoxication and was asked to exit his vehicle. While standing near the back of his car, Santiago refused to submit to a breath test, according to the criminal complaint.

Santiago admitted he consumed alcoholic beverages before he was stopped by police, the complaint says.

Read more:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152641077/W-B-cops-assaulted-in-DUI-scuffle

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/

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

Drugs, Gun Seized In Wilkes-Barre Raid

The Wilkes-Barre Police Anti Crime Unit and the Wilkes-Barre Drug Task force raided a residence on Blackman Street on a drug warrant early Wednesday morning.

The raid was a result of an ongoing investigation targeting drug trafficking in the Rolling Mill Hill section of the city and its surrounding areas, police said.

The investigation revealed Julio “Cesar” Fortuna, 21, was dealing large quantities of high-grade marijuana from his residence and the surrounding streets, police said. Authorities raided 431 Blackman St. around 6 a.m. Wednesday and took Fortuna into custody without incident, police said.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/drugs-gun-seized-in-wilkes-barre-raid-1.1813789

Nanticoke Man Arrested For Shooting In Wilkes-Barre

WILKES-BARRE, PA — A Nanticoke man was arraigned Thursday on charges he shot a woman in the head near Gordon Avenue in South Wilkes-Barre last week.

Michael Angelo Foschini Jr, 25, of West Main Street, was charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and one count each of possession of marijuana and reckless endangerment. He was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $250,000 bail.

Foschini was arrested by city police and Nanticoke police when he began driving away from his residence at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Police believe the woman, a 19-year-old, was shot in the head with a .22-caliber rifle. She survived her injuries.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/50888033/

Police Charge Man Shot By Wilkes-Barre Officer

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

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, PA — The man shot and wounded by police in a Hanover Township parking lot was hit Thursday with felony assault and drug trafficking charges alleging he tried to run down two officers while speeding away from a crack deal he made with a police informant, according to court documents.

Bong Bob Kim, 30, of 9 Harkins Lane, Wilkes-Barre, remained hospitalized at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township on Thursday night as state police filed charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal use of a communication facility, drug trafficking, fleeing police and reckless endangerment.

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis on Thursday night identified Wilkes-Barre police Officer Joseph Sinavage as the officer who shot Kim.

According to a police affidavit filed in court, a state police vice unit and Wilkes-Barre police were conducting a joint drug operation at about 2 p.m. Wednesday in the area of the Family Dollar on Carey Avenue when things went awry.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/police-charge-man-shot-by-w-b-officer-1.1791355

Authorities Return Wilkes-Barre Shooting Suspect To Area

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

A suspect captured in New York following a shooting in Wilkes-Barre earlier this month has been extradited.

Binghamton police said they arrested Sherman W. Wilborne, 30, on Sept. 2 for giving officers false identification. Once police learned Wilborne’s true identity, they lodged him without bail at Broome County Jail on a fugitive warrant out of Pennsylvania for the shooting.

Wilborne was arraigned in Wilkes-Barre on Friday before Magisterial District Judge Martin Kane and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 straight cash bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 9 before Kane.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/authorities-return-w-b-shooting-suspect-to-area-1.1760868

Crack, Marijuana And Gun In Car Stopped At Sherman Hills

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

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/

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

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