Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. While we lose 14 Pennsylvanians a day to drug overdoses, these individuals peddled poisons into our communities with total disregard for the consequences, said Attorney General Shapiro. press@attorneygeneral.gov, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Strawberry Square THEY WERE TRAFFICKING EVEN IN THE MIDST OF A TIME WHEN MOST PEOPLE WERE AT HOME. The Attorney Generals Office said the following people are facing charges as a result of this investigation: READ MORE: Harrisburg filmmaker rereleases gun violence documentary to publicize issue that wont go away, Arrest made in killing of 15-year-old Harrisburg boy: police. OFFICERS SERVED ARREST AND SEARCH WARRANTS YESTERDAY MORNING MAINLY IN HARRISBURGS ALLISON HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, AS PART OF OPERATION HILL FIRE. The Mobile Street Crimes Unit also works with Dauphin County agencies, state police agencies, federal agencies and the local police departments in Middletown, Susquehanna Township, Lower Paxton Township and Steelton. morning) New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean. 23 people charged in 'sophisticated' drug trafficking operation in Harrisburg, WGAL.COM/COMMUNITY. Mailing Address: All of the charges were filed by the state police, which led the investigation in cooperation with the county drug task force and municipal police. The subsequent investigation into their trafficking network identified nine other individuals involved in trafficking methamphetamine: Dustin Black, Ashley Bowley, Adam Curci, Rikki Curcio, Andrew Hoover, Joseph Krise, James McDonald, Cayla Royer, and Michael VanDyne. Chardo said the Operation Hill Fire probe began in April 2019, long before anyone heard of the coronavirus, and accelerated within the last few months. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Departments renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. London Pinkins, age 26, of Sharon, Pennsylvania; Jimmy Gadson, age 34, of Sharon, Pennsylvania; Harold Hooten, age 44, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; Torlando Hopson, age 32, of Farrell, Pennsylvania; Alphonse Johnson, age 39, currently incarcerated; Amanda Karwowski, age 29, of Grove City, Pennsylvania, currently incarcerated; Michael Love, age 43, of Jackson Center, Pennsylvania; Katlyn McGirr, age 29, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; Kenneth Miller, age 59, of Farrell, Pennsylvania; Nicholas Ostheimer, age 23, of Sharon, Pennsylvania; Eugene Phillips, age 29, of Farrell, Pennsylvania, currently incarcerated; Quinton Pinkins, age 36, of Farrell, Pennsylvania; Joseph Pumphrey, age 62, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; Courtney Purdy, age 30, of Mercer, Pennsylvania; Jeronte Robinson, age 26, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; James West, age 45, of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania; Khiry Whiteside, age 30, of Farrell, Pennsylvania; Denzel Williams, age 27, of Farrell, Pennsylvania; Jermall Johnson, age 24, of Erie, Pennsylvania; Jackie Bell, age 29, of Columbus, Ohio; and. HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg indicted 17 individuals in two separate indictments on March 13, 2019, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. THE D.A. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Mark Hackett is charged at count nine with possession with intent to distribute and or distribution of methamphetamine or a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on Dec. 18, 2019. SAYS OFFICERS FOUND LARGE AMOUNTS OF FENTANYL HEROIN, COCAINE, MARIJUANA, , GUNS, AND CASH. As proof, Chardo announced that, in a sweep involving scores of officers, 20 people accused of running "sophisticated" drug dealing in and outside Harrisburg were arrested in "Operation Hill. For the past eighteen months Troopers and agents involved with this investigation worked tirelessly to identify and dismantle a large and well-organized network responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine throughout central and northwestern Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG The United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg indicted 17 individuals in two separate indictments on March 13, 2019, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Johnstown, PA 15901, Pittsburgh:412-644-3500 This was a great cooperative effort focused on sophisticated drug traffickers distributing fentanyl, heroin, and other dangerous drugs, said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. These are serious dealers who were attracting users and crime, 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. Lock Thursday afternoon, 50-year-old Robert Temple was led into . Wolf Administration Announces New COVID-19 Funding Available for Pennsylvania Counties. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The first indictment names the following individuals as defendants: All of the 22 defendants are charged in Count 1 with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of methamphetamine from June 2020 to June 2021. The investigation culminated in the execution of search warrants in October 2020, when agents seized more than eight pounds or 700,000 doses of methamphetamine. 16th Floor, Strawberry Square 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. Marshal Service assisted in the arrests of the defendants. Have a question about Government Services? . 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WGAL-TV. Middle District of Pennsylvania AG Shapiro Arrests Thirteen, Shuts Down Heroin, Meth Trafficking Rings, 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. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nations primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. Methamphetamine presents a clear and present danger to the safety and well-being of our western Pennsylvania communities, said Brady. 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. 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. HARRISBURG, Pa. 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.. 05-06 HPD Investigates Suspected Overdose Death. Have a question about Government Services? William J. Nealon Federal Building and Courthouse A lock ( While executing search warrants, agents from the Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations seized 100 grams, or 3,300 doses, of fentanyl/heroin, 325 fentanyl pills, 56 grams of cocaine, seven firearms, and $100,000 in cash. Scranton, PA 18503, Telephone: (570) 348-2800 My heart is broken for the children in the drug-infested neighborhoods, he said. Fax: (570) 348-2037 A search warrant was obtained, which resulted in the discovery of 741 bags of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $2,374 in cash from a city residence. A locked padlock Secure .gov websites use HTTPS More than 60 people have been arrested in a drug bust in Harrisburg. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Milton Police Department, the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Dauphin, Montour and Northumberland Counties Drug Taskforces, the Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. Just as your police and prosecutors continue to work every day during this pandemic, the sophisticated criminals do as well, Chardo added. Harrisburg, PA 17120 Six additional individuals were also taken into police custody. - An undercover agent reported that he purchased 50 bags of heroin in the 400 block of South 14th Street from a 28-year-old male. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Fax: Reported by: Lara GreenbergHARRISBURG -- Dozens This was not a small-time thing, the DA said. The Attorney Generals Office said the six-month investigation aimed to curb the amount of drugs flowing in and out of Harrisburg. In 2014, a similar investigation led to the arrest of 239 individuals. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. 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, Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams said in a Friday news release, issued by the Attorney Generals Office. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, 25 Indicted for Drug Trafficking in Western PA and Beyond, Acting United States Attorney Rivetti Announces Implementation of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, Contract Employee Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Vehicles from Pittsburgh Airports Hertz Car Rental and Transport Them to Nearby States, Duquesne Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Reentry Center, 25 Indicted For Drug Trafficking In Western PA and Beyond. It is alleged that defendants mailed hundreds of parcels full of marijuana from California to Harrisburg and mailed cash back to California. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. press@attorneygeneral.gov, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Strawberry Square The homeowner, Kenneth Creekmore, 66, faces various drug charges as a result of the bust, in which guns and cash were also seized. 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