Middle District of Pennsylvania Crime never takes a holiday, nor does it take a break for a pandemic, Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said Thursday. Of the . The unit works with local municipalities across the state to target street-level crimes, normally related to drugs or gangs, AG officials said. Through this the scheme, its alleged that defendants brought thousands of pounds of marijuana to the Harrisburg area worth millions of dollars. 16th Floor, Strawberry Square An official website of the United States government. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. More than 60 people have been arrested in a drug bust in Harrisburg. celebrities who are broke 2021. Email: However, due to the extensive resources invested in this case, as well as the serious nature of the offenses committed, we needed to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.. These dealers are now out of business.. Harrisburg, PA 17120 Harrisburgs streets today are instantly safer, with fewer guns, drugs, and criminals, thanks to their tireless dedication,said Harrisburg Mayor Wanda R.D. Even during this COVID-19 pandemic, weve worked diligently on this crystal methamphetamine case in Clearfield and Erie counties.. 717-787-5211 Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justices signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. As Attorney General, I am committed to doing whatever it takes to get this poison out of our neighborhoods and keep Pennsylvanians safe.. "Thanks to this yearlong investigation with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we have been able to take down more than two dozen violent drug traffickers.". Harrisburg, PA: New data provided by the Pennsylvania State Police shows that 12,439 adults and 1,057 juveniles were arrested by law enforcement for simple marijuana possession in 2021. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. This was a great team effort between the Pennsylvania State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Attorneys Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Major Stephen K. Eberle of the Pennsylvania State Police. Investigators later recovered an additional 50 bags of heroin from a vehicle used in the drug delivery and 64 bags of heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia from a residence. Harrisburg- The Pennsylvania State Police has executed 76 arrest warrants, to include several known gang members, in connection with a firearms and narcotics bust early Wednesday morning in. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. A locked padlock Chardo said the arrests were necessary, even during the pandemic. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The homeowner, Kenneth Creekmore, 66, faces various drug charges as a result of the bust, in which guns and cash were also seized. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for each of the crimes charged in Counts 1, 3, 17, 23, and 24. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Freed, the indictment alleges that between October 2018 until May 2020, the defendants operated a marijuana smuggling operation out of Fastlane Auto Sales located on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. 05-06 HPD Investigates Suspected Overdose Death. 717-787-5211 $1.6 million worth of fentanyl seized in Montco bust: DA. These communities made it a priority to target street-level dealers, Shapiro said. A locked padlock YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. People deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods. When police attempted to arrest him, the male ran. Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com NEW! AG Shapiro Announces 15 Arrested, 7 Firearms Seized in Harrisburg Drug Trafficking Operation, Send Drug and Child Predator Anonymous Tips, Community Drug Abuse Prevention Grant Program, ACRE Agriculture, Communities and Rural Environment, Pennsylvania State Coroners Education Board, Voters Rights in Effect at the Polling Places on Election Days. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. At a house on the 2300-block of Luce Street, near Derry Street, the unit arrested one dealer, officials said. HARRISBURGAttorney General Josh Shapiro, in conjunction with the Forty-Sixth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, today announced that the Office of Attorney General has arrested 13 individuals and taken down a heroin/fentanyl and a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Elk and Erie counties. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The cocaine hydrochloride was then distributed to co-conspirators for distribution to customers in Dauphin, Northumberland, and Union Counties. In addition to the fentanyl and heroin mixture, investigators found 325 fentanyl pills, 56 grams of cocaine, seven firearms and about $100,000 in cash while carrying out search warrants, authorities said. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal histories of the defendants. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal histories of the defendants. for the residence and surrounding structures, police said, then sent confiscated contraband to the PSP laboratory in Harrisburg for analysis. The six-month investigation conducted by the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, resulted in the arrests of multiple members of a corrupt organization peddling heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs into Harrisburg. SO IT WAS NECESSARY TO BRING IT TO A, The Dauphin County district attorney says 23 people have been charged in a "sophisticated" drug trafficking ring that operated before and during the coronavirus pandemic.The organization based in Harrisburg has distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, according to District Attorney Fran Chardo.Chardo said law enforcement agencies arrested 20 of the suspects Wednesday and executed search warrants following a yearlong investigation called Operation Hill Fire.The following items were seized, according to Chardo:Approximately 200 grams of fentanyl.600 grams of cocaine.525 packets of synthetic marijuana.Money counting machine.Five handguns.One AR rifle.Two stolen ATVs.More than $32,000 in cash.Seven vehicles. View March's Digital Issue, Select Capital Commercial Properties, Inc, Walnut Street Bridge Unisex Black T-Shirt, Walnut Street Bridge Unisex White T-Shirt, The Roots, The Struts added to summer concert lineup in Harrisburg, The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg, Dauphin County housing authority urges landlords to accept housing choice vouchers, will host educational event, Commonwealth buys Susquehanna River islands to conserve, keep public, Modern-style apartment building proposed along riverfront in Harrisburg, Harrisburg School District to sell former Woodward School property to affordable housing developer, Address: 920 N 3rd Street, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17102. The investigation into the rings began in 2019 after agents from the Offices Bureau of Narcotics Investigations identified Thomas Wallace, Margaret Wisor, Joshua Pulliam, and Joshua Coles as trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl throughout Elk and Erie counties. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Roger Bauer. Five Harrisburg men and another man from California are facing federal drug trafficking charges after being indicted by a federal grand jury, U.S. Attorney David J. The 63 people arrested were charged with a variety of drug-related crimes. Their alleged drug-trafficking activities included the distribution of crack cocaine in the vicinity of protected areas such as playgrounds, schools, and public housing facilities said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. People are being held hostage in their own neighborhoods by these dealers and by these users who frequent these homes and street corners.. 23 people charged in 'sophisticated' drug trafficking operation in Harrisburg, WGAL.COM/COMMUNITY. Harrisburg, PA 17120 morning) Harrisburg, PA 17120, Phone: The unit, which Shapiro accompanied this morning, found three young children, a baby and a mother looking shocked in the second home, Shapiro said. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. To make that point, he cited the case of one defendant, 41-year-old Carlos Soto-Gonzalez, whose bail was set at $250,000. 717-787-3391. Investigators later recovered an additional 50 bags of heroin from a vehicle used in the drug delivery and 64 bags of heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia from a residence. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The Dauphin County district attorney says 23 people have been charged in a "sophisticated" drug trafficking ring that operated before and during the coronavirus pandemic. WOLF CREEK TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Police in Mercer County say they found about $1.8 million of fentanyl during a traffic stop. The second indictment names the following individuals as defendants: The seven-count Indictment charges the defendants in Count 1 with conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine from June 2020 to June 2021. Additionally, 12 vehicles utilized in drug deliveries throughout the Harrisburg area were seized by investigators.The 63 people arrested were charged with a variety of drug-related crimes. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration if you need help for drug addiction at 1-800-662-4357 TRENDING NOW: FBI, Pittsburgh police announce bust of large local . After two drug raids early this morning, Harrisburg residents on Luce and Balm streets felt safe to come out on their porches again, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. This is an example of the cooperation necessary to do justice, Papenfuse said. Thirteen of the 25 alleged drug dealers whose names were released today are in custody, Shapiro said. The indictment charges all defendants, with the exception of Evarie Magee, with count two, conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine or a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, from July of 2019 to June of 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania. who allegedly traveled to a Florida clinic to get fraudulent prescriptions for the pain Second big drug bust in area Aug 23, . Led by the United States Attorneys Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. Just as your police and prosecutors continue to work every day during this pandemic, the sophisticated criminals do as well, Chardo added. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS This is the culmination of months of work by the great men and women of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, along with Dauphin County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Government. In the seizure of multiple firearms, we are yet again reminded of the dangerous and violent enterprise drug trafficking has become. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorneys Office, Erie County District Attorneys Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies. On average, police made 38 marijuana-related arrests per day in Pennsylvania. Fax:814-533-4545. Bexar County, TX Bexar County drug bust nets $400k worth of heroin, cocaine By Katy Barber KTSA 2022-01-21 SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) $400,000 worth of drugs were found in an east side home today. He is also charged with count 10 with possession with intent to distribute and or distribution of methamphetamine or a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on March 14, 2020. During the 30-day investigation, undercover agents purchased and seized heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, synthetic marijuana and prescription pills. The following items were seized, according to Chardo: Chardo said the arrests were necessary, even during the pandemic. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. (see attached) Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. Freed announced Thursday.. The Pennsylvania State Police and its law enforcement partners remain committed to combating this type of illegal drug trade plaguing our communities., Today is a great day for Clearfield County thanks to the hard work of US Attorney Brady, his staff, the DEA, the ATF and the Pennsylvania State Police, Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan P. Sayers said. He is also charged at count five, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in and around and between July of 2019 and April 4, 2020. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. PA Office of Attorney General / Press Office Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Harrisburg filmmaker rereleases gun violence documentary to publicize issue that wont go away. And in their homes and in their homes and in their homes and their! 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