When police attempted to arrest him, the male ran. This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. As you can see, we all stand up here as one, Carter said, joined by officials from the cooperating agencies and municipalities. The occurrence of these arrests during the COVID-19 pandemic was unintentional, but necessary, he said. Shapiro called this morning's drug busts a "textbook [example] of what went well.". Count 6 charges Sams with possessing with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine on April 18, 2021. Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry said two major seizures totaling 962 bricks of fentanyl by Bureau of Narcotics Investigation Region V and Drug Control agents took the drugs off the street, according to a press release. 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. Harrisburg, Pa. - Narcotics and Drug Control agents seized a massive amount of fentanyl in Pittsburgh this week. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. An official website of the United States government. because the future is all about our kids.. We remain dedicated to aggressively investigating those who dont think twice about committing a crime in the community they live and putting others lives at risk. 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. Dec 4, 2020 . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Wallace, Curcio, Krise, and Royer were taken into custody this week and charged with Criminal Conspiracy and drug-related offenses. 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. These are serious dealers who were attracting users and crime, Shapiro said. 04-04 Harrisonburg Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sex Crimes. >> WE NOTICED THAT THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THIS CONTINUED THEIR ACTIVITIES. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations. 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. THEY WERE TRAFFICKING EVEN IN THE MIDST OF A TIME WHEN MOST PEOPLE WERE AT HOME. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Harrisburg filmmaker rereleases gun violence documentary to publicize issue that wont go away. PA Office of Attorney General / Press Office This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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. Have a question about Government Services? Five charged in Belleville drug bust Police: Two still remain at large Local News. Mister Shapiro has let us know he would do anything for the City of Harrisburg if we asked. Drug Bust. Fax: (570) 348-2037 Fax:412-644-4549, Johnstown:814-533-4547 In the seizure of multiple firearms, we are yet again reminded of the dangerous and violent enterprise drug trafficking has become. The defendants raided a home in Harrisburg of a person suspected of interfering with their drug trafficking activities; shot into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township; attempted to restrain and then robbed a victim of a motor vehicle in Highspire; and placed a tracking device on a vehicle to surveil a person believed to be interfering with their drug trafficking activities. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Notable arrests include the following:- A 48-year-old male accused of selling 15 bags of heroin in the area of 16th and Market streets was arrested and taken into police custody. The unit arrested two dealers on the 100-block of Balm St., near State and Cameron streets, seized $2,900 and nine grams of cocaine. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justices signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. celebrities who are broke 2021. 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. A lock ( TTY: (570) 341-2077. Check or add your phone numbers to the Pennsylvania Do Not Call Registry. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved. The defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty. Through this the scheme, its alleged that defendants brought thousands of pounds of marijuana to the Harrisburg area worth millions of dollars. A locked padlock JOHNSTOWN Thirty-eight residents of Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Erie counties have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, money laundering and unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Friday. Lock 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. He posted that within hours, Chardo said. The hill in Operation Hill Fire is Allison Hill in Harrisburg, the hub of the drug network, Chardo said. The statue calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Everybody has given their word that we will fight this drug war and we will save as many kids as we can. - A 21-year-old female who allegedly sold 10 bags of heroin in the area of 13th Street and Cloverly Road was taken into custody by police. More than 8 pounds of meth, or . February 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens, February 24, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens, Sign up for notifications of the monthly release, breaking news and exclusive Harrisburg offers, Sign up for notifications of the monthly release, breaking news and exclusive Harrisburg offers Chardo said the arrests were necessary, even during the pandemic. During the 30-day investigation, undercover agents purchased and seized heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, synthetic marijuana and prescription pills. Officers also seized 3 guns, including a revolver that was reported as stolen. Updated: 11:04 AM EDT April 28, 2016. 717-787-3391. He said that because of the extensive resources invested in the case, as well as the serious nature of the alleged offenses, law enforcement needed to bring the investigation to a conclusion. The law provides for a maximum total sentence for each of Counts 4, 6-8, 14, 15, 19-22, and 25- 28 of at least one year and up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000. According to United States Attorney David J. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office says the investigation into the rings started in 2019 and culminated in the execution of search warrants in October 2020. A lock ( After a brief chase, the juvenile was located hiding behind several houses. HARRISBURG The United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 4, 2020, Christopher Texidor, age 33, William Kuduk, age 34, Justin Laboy, age 33, Jose Laboy, age 36, and Jonathan Cobaugh, age 23, all from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Jamie Valenzuela, age 29, of Santa Ana, California, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking, violence, and firearms charges. 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. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses are life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. William J. Nealon Federal Building and Courthouse For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant. People deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods. 20 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA. HARRISBURG -- A cocaine and heroin ring that stretched from southeastern . Harrisburg, PA 17120, Phone: 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. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police led the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. Sample Page; ; 717-787-5211 This is hopefully the first of many operations and partnerships to combat the drugs that are plaguing the county.. 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. Erie, PA 16501, 319 Washington Street,Suite 200 717-787-3391. The U.S. Six additional individuals were also taken into police custody. Our communities need to know this is a joint effort and couldn't be done without the help of state, local and federal partners., These defendants stand accused of trafficking multiple potentially deadly street drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Today, thanks to strong collaboration with our local law enforcement partners, we shut down a major drug trafficking operation in Harrisburg, said Attorney General Shapiro. HARRISBURG Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced charges against 15 individuals as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in Dauphin County. Combined Injury Reports All rights reserved (About Us). 04-29 DEA and HPD Partner for Drug Take Back Day on April 30th 2022. 235 N. Washington Avenue, Suite 311 morning) Updated: Aug 31, 2020 / 01:11 PM EDT. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Reported by: Lara GreenbergHARRISBURG -- Dozens "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.". 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. PITTSBURGH - Twenty-one members of a drug trafficking organization primarily operating in Washington, Allegheny and Fayette Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury for trafficking significant quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Pittsburgh, PA 15219, 17 South Park Row, Room A330 All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. Mayor Williams and I are thankful for their actions today, as well as every agency that took part in todays operation, said Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. On Monday, Jan.. Freed announced Thursday.. The law provides for a maximum total sentence for each of Counts 2, 4, 5, and 7 of at least one year and up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000. During the 30-day investigation, undercover agents purchased and seized heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, synthetic marijuana and prescription pills.Officers also seized 3 guns, including a revolver that was reported as stolen. The morning raids resulted in arrests that Shapiro announced today as part of an ongoing operation with the Attorney Generals Mobile Street Crimes Unit. 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. 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. 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