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Drug Trafficking

Two Philly Men Among Five Arrested With Drugs In Atlantic City: Police Two Philly Men Among Five Arrested With Drugs In Atlantic City: Police
Two Philly Men Among Five Arrested With Drugs In Atlantic City: Police 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…
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 Warrington Say Meth-Dealing Teen Had Help From Dear Ol' Dad, Cops In Warrington Say
Father-Son Duo Jackson Serafin, Mark Serafin Charged: PD 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 Bensalem, Quakertown: Feds Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Bensalem, Quakertown: Feds
Drug Trafficking Group With California Ties Operated In Bensalem, Quakertown: 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…
Warminster Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Warminster Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Matthew Moss Sentenced For Meth Trafficking In York: Feds 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 …
46 Grams Of Fentanyl, Meth Seized From Woman In PA, Armed Man Sought: Police 46 Grams Of Fentanyl, Meth Seized From Woman In PA, Armed Man Sought: Police
46 Grams Of Fentanyl, Meth Seized From Woman In PA, Armed Man Sought: Police Fentanyl meth, and crack cocaine were seized from a Pennsylvania woman while a man wanted in connection to the case is at large, and considered armed and dangerous, police said. Marci Jo Clayman, 42, is facing various drug offenses and was charged with endangering the welfare of children following the investigation, police in Palmer Township said Friday, Jan. 26. The investigation began in Bethlehem but led officials to the 2700 block of Swanson Township Thursday, Jan. 25, where police seized about 2.5 pounds of methamphetamines, 46 grams of fentanyl, 18 grams of crack cocaine, digital…
Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA
Undercover Op. Seizes 400K Doses Of Fentanyl, Heroin, Xylazine Worth $3.6 Million In PA: DEA Two Philadelphia men and approximately 400,000 doses of drugs were taken off the streets in an undercover operation by the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Drug Enforcement Administration–Philadelphia Field Division, Pennsylvania State Police–Drug Law Team, Upper Merion Township Department of Public Safety, and the Montgomery County District Attorney's office according to a joint release on Friday, Jan. 25.  Richard Nunez, 45, and Javier Cornelio Fabian, 43, were arrested on Thursday on "multiple felony charges related to oper…
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years A drug kingpin who headed a network that slung fentanyl and meth in South Jersey and the suburbs of Philadelphia while he hid from his pursuers was sentenced Thursday to a plea-bargained 18 years in federal prison. Glenn Long, 29, of Philadelphia, must serve just about all of the time he received in U.S. District Court in Camden on Jan. 4 because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Long – known on the street as “Bless” and “Max” – ran the operation as a fugitive for three years while under a federal indictment for major drug trafficking out of Philadelphia. A second drug conspi…
Philly Man Sells 1K+ Fentanyl Pills In Bucks Co. Every Month Since 2021: DA Philly Man Sells 1K+ Fentanyl Pills In Bucks Co. Every Month Since 2021: DA
Philly Man Sells 1K+ Fentanyl Pills In Bucks Co. Every Month Since 2021: DA A Philadelphia man is accused of supplying Bucks County drug dealers with fentanyl pills, according to the District Attorney's Office.  Brian Franklin, 24, is being held on a $9 million bail bond on multiple charges related to drug trafficking, prosecutors said.  Investigators believe Franklin had been distributing fentanyl pills pressed to look like Percocets since May 2021. Authorities said he was moving more than 1,000 of the pills into Bucks County every month.  Prosecutors said Franklin took payment through a mobile app and claim that transcripts show he made almost&nbs…
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: USDOJ Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: USDOJ
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man Life In Prison: Usdoj More than seven years after a triple homicide in Pennsylvania, a Maryland man has been brought to justice.  Johnny Jenkins-Armstrong, 26 of Baltimore, MD was sentenced to life in prison and an additional consecutive 20 years for a "companion robbery charge," the United States Department of Justice stated in a release on Tuesday, Dec. 5.  His December 4th sentencing was for his role in the execution-style slayings of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39 of Hagerstown, MD; Brandon Cole, 47 of Fayetteville, PA; and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36 of Mercersburg, PA, United States Attorne…
'Large-Scale' Drug Traffickers Wanted In Berks County: DA 'Large-Scale' Drug Traffickers Wanted In Berks County: DA
'Large-Scale' Drug Traffickers Wanted In Berks County: DA Two members of an alleged Berks-based "large-scale drug trafficking organization" are still on the run, according to the District Attorney's Office.  Of the 29 men charged as part of the DA's "Operation Knockout" last month, all except for 44-year-old Jeffrey Kanelos and 34-year-old Moises Franco are in custody, authorities said.  Both men are Reading residents and face multiple felony charges including corrupt organizations and conspiracy, said officials.  Roughly $1.5 million in cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs were seized from properties across Berks Co…
Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring
Pounds Of Cocaine Seized In Pennsylvania Helps Convict Last Member Of Puerto Rican Drug Ring The seventh and final member of a drug smuggling ring that ran from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania — has been convicted, according to a release by the US Department of Justice on Nov. 16.  Moniqua Ramirez, 44, has been found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. She was convicted at the end of a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Ramirez, along with six other Puerto Ricans conspired to smuggle kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into Central Pennsylvania using the US Post…
Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says
Fentanyl Drug Bust: Pipeline From Philadelphia To Lancaster Closed, DA Says Charges filed in a drug bust that has halted the "Philadelphia to Lancaster fentanyl pipeline," District Attorney Heather Adams announced on Wednesday, Nov. 8.  Louis Angel Cruz, 42 of the 600 block of S. Ann Street, Lancaster; Michael Beck, 41 of the first block of Crystal Drive, Manheim; and Heather Wagner, 30 of the first block of Crystal Drive, Manheim; were all charged on Oct. 31 in connection with an organized drug operation running from Philadelphia to Lancaster, the District Attorney's office detailed in a release. The Drug Task Force and Lancaster City Bureau of Police be…
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA 7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA A week after "Operation Knockout" saw 29 accused drug dealers charged in Berks County, prosecutors say seven of them are still on the run.  Roughly $1.5 million in cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other substances were seized by authorities in recent weeks as part of their effort targeting a "large-scale drug trafficking organization" based in and around Reading, officials have said.  The organization, according to the DA's Office, was being supplied by a source who had "direct links to a Mexican cartel." Only 18 of the suspects were in custody when authorities announced "Operation…
29 Charged, $1.5 Million In Drugs Seized In Massive Berks County Raid: DA 29 Charged, $1.5 Million In Drugs Seized In Massive Berks County Raid: DA
29 Charged, $1.5 Million In Drugs Seized In Massive Berks County Raid: DA Several dozen people face criminal charges and a purported $1.5 million in drugs have been seized as part of "Operation Knockout" in Berks County, according to District Attorney John T. Adams' Office.  The operation targeted a "large-scale drug trafficking organization" based in and around Reading with alleged ties to "a Mexican cartel," said prosecutors.  Police said they began investigating individual dealers in early 2023 but sought court approval for electronic surveillance after they "determined that these individuals were part of an even larger organization." …
Philly Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police Philly Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police
Philly Man Arrested In Atlantic City With Heroin, Coke, Pot, Ecstasy: Police Atlantic City police conducted surveillance that resulted in the arrest of two men and the recovery of a handgun and assorted drugs, authorities said. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Detectives Christopher Dodson and James Barrett were conducting surveillance in the first block of south Mansion Avenue when they allegedly observed Malik Jones of Atlantic City and Camron Izzard of Philadelphia appearing to be dealing drugs, police said. Detectives watched as Jones was inside of a parked vehicle with Izzard. The detectives converged after finding that Jones had an active warrant for his arrest from P…
$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG $1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG
$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG A New York man is accused of bringing almost half a million doses of fentanyl into Pennsylvania, authorities say.  Yan Carlos Pichardo Cepeda, 27, was arrested by state agents and Allegheny County authorities and arraigned on Friday, Sept. 1, Attorney General Michelle Henry's Office said.  Pichardo Cepeda was spotted avoiding police officers and canine units when he arrived in Pittsburgh from New York, prosecutors said. He consented to a search of his backpack, where police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl. Eight more kilograms of fentanyl — or 450,000 doses — wer…
Two 'Upper-Level' PA Drug Dealers Nabbed In $1.5M Fentanyl Bust: AG Henry Two 'Upper-Level' PA Drug Dealers Nabbed In $1.5M Fentanyl Bust: AG Henry
Two 'Upper-Level' PA Drug Dealers Nabbed In $1.5M Fentanyl Bust: AG Henry A pair of Allentown-based drug dealers are behind bars and more than $1.5 million worth of fentanyl was seized during a raid last weekend, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.  Wilson Jose Rosario, 33, and Luis Manuel Ventura, 21 — both alleged by prosecutors to be "upper-level" traffickers — were taken into custody by a team of city, county, and state authorities on Saturday, Aug. 26, officials said.  Officers, detectives, and agents with the AG's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation claimed to seize 11 pounds of fentanyl, or "nearly 165,000 doses of th…
Cocaine, Heroin, Handgun, 30 Pounds Pot Seized In NJ-PA Bust: Prosecutor Cocaine, Heroin, Handgun, 30 Pounds Pot Seized In NJ-PA Bust: Prosecutor
Cocaine, Heroin, Handgun, 30 Pounds Pot Seized In Nj-pa Bust: Prosecutor A 33-year-old Mercer County man has been arrested in connection with dealing drugs in Trenton and Bucks County, PA, authorities said. Akeem Smith, 33, of Trenton, was arrested on Tuesday, July 18, as a result of the investigation conducted by the members of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force, with assistance from the DEA, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and Hamilton, Trenton and Bensalem, PA, police, they said. About $63,900 in drugs, a handgun and $13,860 cash were seized as a result of the Pennsylvania arrest and searches, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Ono…
Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say
Philadelphia Man Caught With Crack In Someone Else's Car Resists Arrest In Lititz, Police Say A 41-year-old Philadelphia man was apparently not in the mood to cooperate with officers who stopped in Lititz and found his crack cocaine, according to a release by police on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Helbert E. Mercado was stopped by Lititz Borough police for a traffic violation in the 200 block of East Market Street at 12:36 p.m. on July 9, 2023, according to the police release.  Mercado gave the officers a false name and "physically resisted officers' attempts to place him under arrest," as stated in the release.  The officers soon "discovered that Mercado did not obtain perm…
Guns, Drugs Found In 'Stash House' Above Philly Daycare, Authorities Say Guns, Drugs Found In 'Stash House' Above Philly Daycare, Authorities Say
Guns, Drugs Found In 'Stash House' Above Philly Daycare, Authorities Say Eleven guns and about $350,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized in a raid on an alleged "stash house" just upstairs from a North Philadelphia daycare, according to prosecutors.  Justin Pearcy, 36, is charged with multiple felony drug and weapons offenses, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry's Office in a release.  Charges were filed after police executed search warrants on the second-floor apartment above a Hunting Park Avenue daycare center, as well as a vehicle parked on Pulaski Avenue, authorities said.   During the search of the alleged "stash h…
Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next
Dealer Gets 14 Years Without Parole In Historic Jersey Shore Drug Bust, Brother Up Next UPDATE: The second of two brothers who pleaded guilty in the largest drug bust in Atlantic County history -- 45 pounds of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine combined -- was the first to be sentenced. Fourteen years was the best that Ricardo Clavijo, 42, of Egg Harbor Township could get from a plea deal with the federal government. He'll have to serve just about all of it, too, because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Clavijo’s brother, Christopher Gonzalez of Pleasantville, is up for sentencing next. The brothers had more than 20 kilos combined of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine…
Philly Man Came To Bucks County To Sell Gun, Drugs: Police Philly Man Came To Bucks County To Sell Gun, Drugs: Police
Philly Man Came To Bucks County To Sell Gun, Drugs: Police A Philadelphia man was busted in Bucks County when an apparent drug deal turned out to be a police sting, authorities say.  Ishmael I. Colon, 34, is charged with firearm and drug trafficking offenses, said Bensalem police in a release.  Colon had driven to the township on Tuesday, June 6 in hopes of selling a handgun and some cocaine to a "subject known by police," the department said. When he arrived, officers from Bensalem and Philadelphia moved in and arrested him without incident, according to the release.  Police said they found the gun in his possession — a 9mm Sp…
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say 'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say A dozen people face criminal charges in connection with an ongoing scheme to mail cocaine from Puerto Rico to Berks County, according to authorities.  During the course of "Operation Special Delivery," a task force of Berks detectives and federal agents seized roughly $4 million worth of cocaine from 19 packages sent through the US Postal Service, said county authorities in a release.  Eleven of the 12 suspects are currently in police custody, detectives said.  The investigation began last August when the Postal Inspector's Office found "kilogram quantities" of cocaine being regularly shi…
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs
NJ Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced To 6 Years For Running Drugs Paterson rapper Fetty Wap caught something of a break on Wednesday. A federal judge sentenced the platinum-selling rapper – whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II – to six years in federal prison on May 24 for his role in a drug-trafficking ring that flooded part of New Jersey and Long Island with cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack. Maxwell had been charged with conspiring to transport more than 100 kilos of the drugs there from the West Coast. Rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial, he took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in U.S. Eastern District Court …