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Drug Trafficking

PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities
PA Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Authorities A Philadelphia man was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for possessing 36 kilograms of fentanyl and running two drug houses with a citizen of the Dominican Republic, authorities said. Gabriel Rivera-Otero, 42, also known as "Carlos Vasquez" and "Gustavo," was sentenced to about 24-and-a-half years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, according to a Department of Justice news release on Monday, Oct. 28. A Dominican Republic man, Angel Reyes-Valdez, 47, also known as "Abel Anton Alberto Nunez," was sentenced with Rivera-Otero, the news release states. Reyes-Valdez was senten…
'Bad Bunny' Drug Bust: 3.3 Pounds Of Fentanyl, $25K Seized In Chesco Bust, DA Says 'Bad Bunny' Drug Bust: 3.3 Pounds Of Fentanyl, $25K Seized In Chesco Bust, DA Says
'Bad Bunny' Drug Bust: 3.3 Pounds Of Fentanyl, $25K Seized In Chesco Bust, DA Says Five Philadelphia men were arrested for their roles in what authorities are calling the "Bad Bunny Drug Trafficking Organization," officials announced. David Arroyo, 27; Miguel Jorge-Ortiz, 35; Neil Perez, 29; and Jose Guzman, 49, all of Philadelphia, were arrested on Sept. 13, according to a Tuesday, Oct. 29 news release from the Chester County District Attorney's Office.  Curtis Lake, 50, of Philadelphia, was arrested at a later date, the news release states. These arrests involved multiple law enforcement agencies executing 12 search warrants at nine different l…
Dad From Drug Dealing Duo To Get Rehab While Son Waits For Trial: Court Dad From Drug Dealing Duo To Get Rehab While Son Waits For Trial: Court
Dad From Drug Dealing Duo To Get Rehab While Son Waits For Trial: Court The dad who was part of a drug dealing father-son duo in Chalfont was approved by the court to enter drug and alcohol treatment, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Monday, Oct. 21. Mark Serafin, 54, and his son Jackson, 20, had been charged with multiple felonies including possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice.  Now, it seems that the elder Serafin will be able to shed his criminal record after being approved by the Bucks County Court of Common Plea…
Delco Man Arrested With Drugs, Guns In Months-Long Narc Probe: Police Delco Man Arrested With Drugs, Guns In Months-Long Narc Probe: Police
Delco Man Arrested With Drugs, Guns In Months-Long Narc Probe: Police A Delaware County man was arrested after authorities found drugs, guns, and money in his home following a four-month-long narcotics investigation, police said. Edward Plumley, 48, of Aldan, was previously identified by the Delaware County Narcotics Task Force as a drug trafficker, according to the Marple Township Police Department. Plumley, who had been distributing drugs in and around Marple Township, had his residence searched under warrant by the narcotics task force on Thursday, Oct. 10, police said. In Plumley's residence, officers with the task force found and seized: 1,600 grams o…
Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA
Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA A Pennsylvania was caught with an altered shotgun shell containing methamphetamine while moving through a security checkpoint at the Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, Sept. 30, according to the Transportation Security Administration. As the man moved through the checkpoint, a scanner alarmed in his groin area where the shotgun shell was found under his clothing, TSA said.  The white powder found inside the modified shell was tested and found to be methamphetamine. The man, who was not named but identified as an Orangeville, PA resident, was arrested by Philadelphia police,…
Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police
Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police A Reading man was arrested for drug trafficking Thursday, Sept. 26 after police found him in possession of $12,000 worth of drugs, according to authorities. Dennis Valentin, 34, was found with 1,200 Ecstasy pills and 140 grams of marijuana in his apartment at 931 North 3rd Street, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. Valentin was taken to the Berks County Sheriff's Department Central Processing Center, according to authorities. He is currently awaiting preliminary arraignment.  The Berks County District Attorney's Drug Task Force began investigating Valentin in August, th…
11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Berks County Drug Bust: DA 11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Berks County Drug Bust: DA
11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Berks County Drug Bust: DA Three Reading men were arrested in a major drug bust that turned up 11 pounds of methamphetamine, eight pounds of fentanyl, multiple loaded firearms, and more, authorities said. Selwyn Alcais-Garica, Rashan Brinkley, and Marcial Cooper are all facing a slew of charges following search warrants executed across Reading, leading to the evidential seizures, the Berks County DA's Office announced Monday, Sept. 16. Warrants were executed at 1423 Birch st. in Reading;1615 N.10th St. in Reading; 662 Tulpehocken Street in Reading and 501 Emerson Ave. in Laureldale. Authorities seized …
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online A 38-year-old man from Bucks County pleaded guilty to trafficking counterfeit opioid pills. Robert Davis, 36, of Bensalem, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. The pills were meant to be used as props in films but were instead used by drug dealers billed as oxycodone or Xanax, Romero said. The defendant was charged in a superseding indictment on May 9, 2023, with selling counterfeit opioid pills through his website, rcproppill, advertising the fake pills for use as props in films or music videos, from about 2015 through August 2019. The counterfe…
Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court
Philly Man Selling 500 Grams Of Cocaine Pleads Guilty In Federal Court A 60-year-old man from Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, authorities said. James Pearcy pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson on Aug. 20, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. From January 2021 to around June 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pearcy conspired with others to deal cocaine, Olshan said. Pearcy was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine that he distributed to others, he said. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.  Pearcy faces a…
Man Arrested With 'Weapon Of Mass Destruction' Was Wanted In Northampton County Man Arrested With 'Weapon Of Mass Destruction' Was Wanted In Northampton County
Man Arrested With 'Weapon Of Mass Destruction' Was Wanted In Northampton County A 42-year-old man from Northampton County was arrested on a warrant related to his possessing an explosive device, authorities said. Thomas Stocker Jr. was arrested on Friday, Aug. 30 in Monroe County, according to Slate Belt Regional Police. One of his charges is possessing or manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, police said. On April 25, at approximately 10 p.m., a Slate Belt Regional Police Officer on patrol observed a male walking on the shoulder in the 800 block of Bangor Road. After making contact with this male, the Officer recognized him to be Thomas Stocker Jr, and knew he wa…
Philly Drug Dealer Caught With Cocaine, Xanax, Ecstasy On Jersey Shore: Police Philly Drug Dealer Caught With Cocaine, Xanax, Ecstasy On Jersey Shore: Police
Philly Drug Dealer Caught With Cocaine, Xanax, Ecstasy On Jersey Shore: Police A Philadelphia man was accused of having several types of drugs in the Wildwoods, authorities said. Matthew Monroe, 38, was arrested on Friday, Aug. 16, the Wildwood Crest Police Department said in a news release. An officer stopped Monroe in a vehicle near the intersection of Atlantic and Denver avenues at around 3:10 a.m. Investigators said the officer suspected the vehicle had evidence of criminal activity and a K9 officer sniffed the outside of the vehicle. The K9 smelled drugs and the vehicle was searched. Police said they found "distribution amounts" of suspected cocai…
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Six men were charged with trafficking millions of dollars in methamphetamine and cocaine by concealing them inside Bluetooth karaoke speakers and shipping them from California to Bucks County, authorities said. This multifaceted investigation by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Attorney General’s Office resulted in the dismantling of the Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization, led by Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall in Delaware County, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn announced on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The Charged Suspects …
West Reading Man Charged After $65K+ Drug Bust: DA West Reading Man Charged After $65K+ Drug Bust: DA
West Reading Man Charged After $65K+ Drug Bust: DA A two-month investigation ended with the seizure of more than a kilogram of drugs and one arrest in Berks County, said the District Attorney's Office on Friday.  Eric Emilio Delacruz, 36, of West Reading, is charged with multiple counts related to drug trafficking, prosecutors said.  Police began investigating drug sales at 343 Chestnut Street in April, the DA's Office said. On Thursday, June 13, county detectives executed a search warrant and said they recovered:  735 grams of cocaine with a potential street value of $36,750 744 fentanyl pills with a potential street value…
'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker 'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker
'Operation Black Diamond': Feds Seek Alleged Philadelphia Fentanyl Trafficker Eleven members of a suspected drug trafficking organization are in custody, federal authorities say.  The group, allegedly headed by 30-year-old Wilfredo Avila, is accused of running "significant quantities" of fentanyl and cocaine throughout Philadelphia's Kensington and Fairhill sections from February 2023 through this month.  The organization also "routinely offered and sold firearms of all kinds to its drug dealer customers," said the US Attorney's Office in a release on Thursday, June 13.  Ten suspects were arrested and one more is awaiting transfer from anoth…
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Federal prosecutors have accused a Schuylkill Haven resident of selling methamphetamine.  John Kyle Smith, 40, is charged with possession with intent to distribute, said the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Prosecutors said the charges stem from an incident on Feb. 29.  If convicted, Smith could face up to 20 years in prison plus a period of supervised release and a fine, according to officials.  The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the state Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. 
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK 23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK Federal agents at JFK Airport seized a 23-year-old Taiwanese national who the Justice Department said owned and operated a dark web drug bazaar that produced well over $100 million in sales. The “Incognito Market” created by Rui-Siang Lin enabled its users to anonymously buy and sell drugs around the globe for nearly 3½ years, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and other federal officials announced on Monday, May 20. Lin -- also known as Ruisiang Lin, 林睿庠, Pharoah, and faro – mastermineded a clandestine e-commerce network where buyers could browse thousands of listings for heroin, LSD, …
2 Cumberland County Men Indicted For Gun, Drug Trafficking: USDOJ 2 Cumberland County Men Indicted For Gun, Drug Trafficking: USDOJ
2 Cumberland County Men Indicted For Gun, Drug Trafficking: Usdoj Two Cumberland County men have been indicted on drug and gun trafficking charges, the Middlesex Township Police Department on Tuesday, May 7.  William L. Nalley Jr., 27 of Boiling Springs; and Rafael Orihuela, 22 of Carlisle, were indicted by a federal grand jury "on charges related to the distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of firearms," the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Wednesday, May 1.  United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained the following about the case: "The indictment alleges tha…
Gun And Drug Trafficking Org. Operated Throughout Greater Philly: Montco DA Gun And Drug Trafficking Org. Operated Throughout Greater Philly: Montco DA
Gun And Drug Trafficking Org. Operated Throughout Greater Philly: Montco DA Seven people are accused in connection with an alleged gun and drug trafficking scheme across the Philadelphia area, prosecutors say.  Six Philadelphians and one Norristown man are charged with corrupt organizations, conspiracy, and multiple related counts, said the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office on Monday:  Scott Grondin, 42 Anthony Figueroa-Marko, 34 Bella Kenna, 21 Felicia McKinnel, 28  Emanuel Torres, 32 Christopher McNelly, 26  Asad Sayed, 27 Montgomery County District Attorney's Office From January 2023 to February 2024, authorities said Figue…
Philly Dealer With Berks County Ties Had More Than $8 Million In Fentanyl: DA Philly Dealer With Berks County Ties Had More Than $8 Million In Fentanyl: DA
Philly Dealer With Berks County Ties Had More Than $8 Million In Fentanyl: DA A Philadelphia man is accused of selling fentanyl and heroin in Berks County, the District Attorney's Office said Wednesday, May 1.  Ramon Alberto Jimenez-Merejildo was arrested on Perkiomen Avenue in Exeter on Tuesday, April 30, according to prosecutors.  Authorities said Jimenez-Merejildo was selling fentanyl in Philadelphia and also "transporting large amounts" to Berks for distribution. Police made several controlled buys from Jimenez-Merejildo during the two-month investigation, the DA's Office said.  During a search of Jimenez-Merejildo's residence …
Five Men Arrested On Drug Charges As Atlantic City Police Target Areas Of Violence Five Men Arrested On Drug Charges As Atlantic City Police Target Areas Of Violence
Five Men Arrested On Drug Charges As Atlantic City Police Target Areas Of Violence Five men were arrested in Atlantic City during a police operation targeting areas of violence, authorities said. In a news release, Atlantic City police said detectives conducted surveillance in the first block of South Florida Avenue on Thursday, Apr. 18. Four men were arrested for having or selling drugs. Isaiah Brown, 19, of Atlantic City, was taken into custody after running away from police. Once he was arrested, he continued to be uncooperative and struggled with detectives. Because of statements Brown made to police, he was brought to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Cente…
FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG
FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG A months-long investigation involving the FBI led to the arrest of 17 drug traffickers in the Philadelphia area and the seizure of illegal guns, drugs, and cash. Vincent Lofton, 60, one of the alleged heads of the trafficking network, was arrested, along with 16 other people at various locations after search warrants were executed Tuesday, April 9, Attorney General Michelle Henry, said. He was arraigned Wednesday and bail was set at $1 million. Investigators served more than a dozen search warrants at homes and on vehicles vehicles, and a financial institution. Others arrested include…
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Ghost guns, methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms stuffed inside a protein powder breakfast shake container were all found at a Littiz's man's home by the Lancaster Drug Task Force, the district attorney announced on Monday, April 1.  Timothy Jason Sherrin, 41 of the 500 block of Greenhowe Drive, had allegedly stuffed the mushrooms in a Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate package and had other illegal items throughout his home, as discovered during the warranted search at 2:24 p.m. on March 21, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Offic…
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: Usdoj A convicted Philadelphia drug dealer who tried to have a witness assassinated while awaiting trial last year will spend the better part of a century in federal prison, prosecutors say.  Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, was sentenced to 622 months, or just shy of 52 years, plus six years of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office.  During a raid on his Hunting Park home in 2018, authorities said they found $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded gun that had been modified to fire automatically stashed in a kitchen light fixture.  They also found evid…
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: Usdoj A federal grand jury indicted a Luzerne County man on drug trafficking charges this week, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Benjamin Woytas, 34, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is accused of distributing methamphetamine in Luzerne County in August 2023, said USA Gerard Karam in a release.  The maximum penalty for the charges is a 40-year prison term followed by supervised release and a fine, prosecutors said.  In addition to the FBI, the county Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Woytas was charged with drug possession in Hudson County, New Jersey, in 2020.&nb…
175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA 175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA
175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA Hundreds of thousands of doses of illegal drugs are off the street and four men are in custody following a massive police raid and drug bust on Monday, the District Attorney's Office announced on March 12. Detectives and Reading police launched an investigation into "street level" drug dealing on the 200 block of South 6th Street in September 2023, according to the DA's office.  With assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities executed search warrants at multiple properties — all in the same block  — on March 11, including:&…
PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says
PA Man Who Attempted To Kill 3 Police Officers, Trafficked Fentanyl/Heroin Arrested, AG Says A year-long manhunt for a suspect accused of attempting to murder three police officers has ended — as part of a drug trafficking bust, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Thursday night.  A search warrant on Spring Street in Pittsburgh led Allegheny County and local law enforcement officers to arrest 24-year-old Bruce Harvard on Feb. 28,  AG Henry detailed in the release.  He was wanted for shooting at a McKees Rock Police Officer and two Office of Attorney General agents during an attempted vehicle stop in Stowe Township on Feb. 27, 2023, the AG explaine…
Meth-Dealing Teen Had Help From Dear Ol' Dad, Cops In Bucks County Say Meth-Dealing Teen Had Help From Dear Ol' Dad, Cops In Bucks County Say
Meth-Dealing Teen Had Help From Dear Ol' Dad, Cops In Bucks County Say A father-son duo in Chalfont is accused of conspiring to sell methamphetamine and cocaine together, according to Warrington police.  Jackson Serafin, 19, and Mark Serafin, 53, are each charged with multiple felonies including possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility, police wrote in a release.  Authorities said Jackson Serafin sold them meth and cocaine during multiple controlled buys in 2023. Over the months-long investigation, detectives also learned that Mark Serafin "conspired with his son (...) to buy and sell" the…
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds A city man was dealing drugs wholesale "in the immediate vicinity" of a Philadelphia middle school, a federal court found last week.  Phillip Gillard, 46, was convicted at trial on multiple drug trafficking and firearm offenses, said the US Attorney's Office.  A two-year investigation found the "Gillard drug trafficking organization" was supplying area dealers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, PCP, fentanyl, and other narcotics, according to the FBI.  Authorities believe Gillard and others maintained three properties in the city's Port Richmond section for d…
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Southeast PA: Feds Five members of an alleged trafficking group active in greater Philadelphia face federal charges, the US Attorney's Office announced this week.  Investigators say the group sent cocaine and methamphetamine to Pennsylvania through the mail for distribution in Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, Plymouth Township, Coopersburg, and elsewhere. Authorities said they seized 40 firearms, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition, 60 pounds of meth, one kilogram of fentanyl, one kilogram of cocaine, 65 pounds of marijuana, 300 fentanyl pills, six pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, and $15,000 cash from the su…
Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police
Fentanyl Dealer Wanted For Selling Pills That Killed PA Teen: Police Lower Allen police are looking for an accused fentanyl dealer in connection with a deadly overdose last year.  Major Mahari Winfield Defreitas, 20, is wanted for drug delivery resulting in death and possession with intent to deliver, authorities said.  Police were called about a suspected overdose on Rosemont Avenue in Camp Hill last Oct. 11, the department said. First responders rendered life-saving aid but the 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.  His cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl toxicity, officials said. Invest…
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: Usdoj A Warminster man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in York County, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Matthew Moss, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 270 grams of meth for distribution, said prosecutors in a release.  Investigators said they went undercover and purchased 140 grams from Moss in York County in November 2021. He fled when they tried to arrest him and led authorities on a vehicle and foot chase, officials said.  When captured, Moss had an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure meth in his …