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/

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/

Drugs, Guns Found Across Greater Nanticoke Area Schools

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

NANTICOKE, PA — City police and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force arrested four people and seized a large amount of heroin, crack cocaine and handguns from a house in a school zone.

The house 424 Kosciuszko St. is directly across from the Greater Nanticoke Area high school, middle school and elementary school, and the recess yard for elementary school students, according to charges filed.

Authorities said they found five handguns in which three were loaded, ammunition, 450 heroin packets in a shoe box, crystal methamphetamine, a digital scale, nearly 50 heroin packets scattered in different bedrooms, two marijuana grinders and smoking pipes, marijuana, and nearly $6,000 throughout the house late Thursday afternoon.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1148299/Drugs-guns-found-across-Greater-Nanticoke-Area-schools

Six People Arrested On Drug Trafficking Charges

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HANOVER TWP. — Two people were arrested after authorities allege they sold crack cocaine near a school and four others were picked up on heroin trafficking charges.

Egerton “Repo” Wood, 37, of Boland Avenue, Hanover Township, and Geovanni Henry Johnson, 32, of Horton Street, Wilkes-Barre, were arrested earlier this week on charges they sold crack cocaine within 1000 feet of the Hanover Area Memorial School on West Saint Marys Road.

Authorities allege they seized crack cocaine, marijuana, a scale and cash during the arrest and execution of a search warrant.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/1032802/Six-people-arrested-on-drug-trafficking-charges

600 Heroin Packets Seized, Hazleton Man Arrested

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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

Wilkes-Barre Man Caught Growing Pot In State Gamelands

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A Wilkes-Barre man faces charges for allegedly growing 170 marijuana plants on state game lands in Dennison Township.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission, in conjunction with the state Office of Attorney General, today filed charges in the case against Thomas Dalton, 47, of Airy Street, is charged with one felony count of manufacture of a controlled substance, one felony count of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.

Dalton also is charged with violating the Game and Wildlife Code by unlawfully traveling by motorized vehicle on state game lands, possessing a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, using game lands for commercial purpose, and additional violations.

Charges were filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge Gerald Feissner in Freeland. Dalton was released without bail on his word he will appear in court Dec. 27.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/877269/Wilkes-Barre-man-caught-growing-pot-in-state-gamelands

Two Arrested In Kingston Drug Raid

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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

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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

‘Drug Houses’ Seized Under Hazleton Plan

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Editor’s note:  Now that clearly sends a message that drug dealers aren’t welcome in Hazleton!

HAZLETON, PA — In addition to potentially losing her freedom, a woman arrested in a drug raid Friday also could lose her home under a new initiative of the Hazleton Police Department.

After police served a search warrant at 134 Pine Tree Road and arrested the three people inside, a city official posted a dark red sign in the front door window with the word “CONDEMNED.”

“The new idea actually has been on the books for quite some time — using the city’s nuisance property ordinance” to clean up neighborhoods, Police Chief Frank DeAndrea said at a press conference at City Hall Friday afternoon.  “And since the mayor has put code enforcement and the health department under the supervision of the police department, I thought we would attempt to take a new approach.”

When advised Thursday of the operation planned for Friday by his narcotics unit lieutenant, DeAndrea called Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and requested her view on the city condemning the Pine Tree Road house “because it’s unsafe for human cohabitation, it’s a danger to the community,” DeAndrea said.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/394624/Drug-houses-seized-under-Hazleton-plan