HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation have filed criminal charges against four Cumberland and Dauphin County men accused of shipping as much as $750,000 worth of marijuana and cocaine cross-country, from southern California to the Harrisburg area.
Corbett identified the defendants as Edward Zimmer, 31, Camp Hill; Kevin Hartung, 30, Mechanicsburg; Flor Rivera Jr., 29, Wormleysburg; and James Houser, 31, Harrisburg.
Corbett said the investigation, known as “Operation Frequent Flyer,” began in March 2009 after agents from the Attorney General’s Office received information about a group of individuals who were reportedly involved in the large-scale shipment of drugs from California into Central Pennsylvania. The drugs were then allegedly repackaged for distribution and sale throughout Cumberland and Dauphin counties.
“This was a well-organized effort to ship bulk quantities of drugs across the country,” Corbett said, “including flights to California with stacks of cash, secret drug purchases in San Diego and a specially constructed trailer designed to hide marijuana and cocaine from law enforcement.”
According to the criminal complaint, Zimmer and Hartung paid associates to drive to San Diego, California, initially using rental cars and later towing a trailer that contained a hidden compartment designed to hide drugs. Zimmer and Hartung would then allegedly fly to California carrying substantial quantities of cash, purchase the drugs, load the vehicles and then arrange to have the illegal cargo driven back to Cumberland County.
Corbett said that Zimmer and Hartung are believed to have arranged at least five cross-country trips since January 2009, personally transporting cash to California and then instructing associates to drive the drugs back to Central Pennsylvania. Each of those trips allegedly involved the shipment of 50 to 80 pounds of marijuana, worth approximately $650,000, along with $100,000 worth of cocaine.
According to the criminal complaint, the marijuana was allegedly repackaged into smaller quantities and distributed in Cumberland and Dauphin counties by Zimmer, Hartung, and James Houser, while the cocaine was allegedly turned over to Flor Rivera Jr. for local distribution.
“Last week, we monitored the beginning of another suspected drug trip to California, with Houser and an associate towing a trailer to California while Zimmer and Hartung flew from Harrisburg International Airport to San Diego,” Corbett said. “Late Monday afternoon, a trailer loaded with approximately 70 pounds of marijuana was seized by agents from the Attorney General’s office when it arrived for a pre-arraigned meeting at Rivera’s residence in Wormleysburg.”
Corbett said that Zimmer, Rivera and Houser were all taken into custody when the drug-laden trailer arrived at the meeting location in Cumberland County. An arrest warrant has been issued for Hartung.
Agents executed search warrants at the homes of all four defendants, seizing approx. 70 pounds of marijuana; 300 grams of cocaine; $17,400 in cash; seven firearms; seven cars, trucks and SUV’s; three motorcycles and various drug packaging materials.
Corbett said that Zimmer, Rivera and Houser were all preliminarily arraigned via video link on April 20th and lodged in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail apiece. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 29th before Camp Hill Magisterial District Judge Roger A. Estep.
Hartung is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, two counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts of participating in a corrupt organization and one count of possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
Zimmer is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, two counts of criminal conspiracy and two counts of participating in a corrupt organization.
Flor Rivera Jr. is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, two counts of criminal conspiracy and two counts of participating in a corrupt organization and one count of possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
James Houser is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, two counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of participating in a corrupt organization.
Corbett thanked the Cumberland and Dauphin County Drug Task Forces and the U.S. Marshall’s Office for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.
The defendants will be prosecuted in Cumberland County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Heather L. Adams of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
Growing Threat
Corbett noted a growing trend across Pennsylvania involving hidden compartments in vehicles used by drug dealers.
“Our agents are seeing a steady growth in the use of hidden compartments in drug vehicles, along with an increased use by lower level drug dealers,” Corbett said. “Something once limited to major drug traffickers in the largest cities is now working its way into small towns all across the state – posing a clear threat to law enforcement and the general public because these compartments can be used to conceal weapons along with drugs and cash.”
Corbett said the increased use of hidden compartments in drug vehicles parallels the steady growth of small-town drug organizations across Pennsylvania.
“These compartments can be large or small, crude or sophisticated,” Corbett said. “Most of these vehicles are used to move large quantities of drugs or cash back-and-forth across the state, while others serve as movable ‘safe houses’ – used to conceal drug supplies from law enforcement or competitors – and some of the more elaborate hidden compartments become a type of status symbol among drug dealers.”
Corbett said that agents and technical specialists from the Attorney General’s Office have discovered more than 50 hidden compartments in drug vehicles since 2005, with additional hidden items being discovered by State Police and local police officers.
Corbett noted that agents from the Attorney General’s Office provide training and technical assistance to other law enforcement organizations across the state, demonstrating how compartments are concealed in vehicles and teaching police officers what to look for when searching a vehicle. He added that officer safety is the major emphasis of this training.