HARRISBURG – Forty-four suspected drug dealers, accused of dealing prescription narcotics and illegal drugs, were charged today following a street-level sweep in Blair County by state narcotics agents and local police.
Attorney General Linda Kelly said the arrests are the result of an eight-month cooperative investigation into the alleged street-level drug dealing in the Altoona area.
Kelly said the defendants are charged with dealing a variety of different narcotics including; marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin. Additionally, many of the defendants allegedly sold and trafficked highly addictive prescription pain killers including; Oxycodone, Methadone, Oxycontin, Suboxone, Roxicet, Percocet, Hydrocodone, Ecstasy, Vicodin, Fentynol, Alprazolam, Xanax, and Clonazepam.
Over the course of the investigation, agents made a series of undercover purchases and controlled buys in and around Altoona. The Altoona area remains a focus of attention for drug suppliers from outside of Central Pennsylvania due to the increased drug demand.
Kelly said investigators were assisted in their undercover work by information forwarded from Blair Counties’ “Push Out the Pushers” hotline (814-693-3020). The Blair County Drug Task Force, which receives its funding from the Attorney General’s Office, was established to conduct street-level drug investigations.
Information gathered from these investigations, including where the drug dealers obtain their drugs, is used to target mid -to upper-level drug dealers by BNI agents and Attorney General drug prosecutors.
Kelly thanked the businesses and community leaders involved with “Operation Our Town,” a nonprofit corporation formed by local business leaders to take back local neighborhoods and rid them of drugs and drug related crime.
Kelly also thanked Blair County District AttorneyRichard Consiglio, the Blair County Sheriff’s Office, the Blair County Prison, the Blair County Drug Task Force, and Blair County 911 for their assistance with the investigation.
The defendants will be preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judges Paula Aigner and Jeff Auker. They will be prosecuted by Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio’s office.
Below is a complete list of the defendants and the charges against them:
–Joseph Turek Jr., 54, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Clonzepam/Vicodin and one count of possession of Clonzepam/Vicodin.
–Brooke Walk, 19, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Xanax, one count of possession of Xanax, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Lawrence Walk, 39, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Alprazolam, one count of possession of Alprazolam, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Bobbi Jo Tilson, 34, Apt. 1, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of delivery of Hydrocodone, two counts of possession of Hydrocodone, two counts of criminal use of a communication facility, and one count of conspiracy.
–Darcy Smith, 34, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with four counts of delivery of Fentynol/Oxycontin/Cocaine, three counts of possession of Fentynol/Oxycontin/Cocaine, three counts of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of conspiracy, and one count of criminal attempt.
–Michelle Shaw, 36, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, one count of possession of crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Kent Martin, 27, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of crack cocaine, two counts of possession of crack cocaine, and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Teresa Hazlett, 56, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, one count of possession of crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Theresa Heiss, 37, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of cocaine/Vicodin, three counts of possession of cocaine/Vicodin, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Wendy Groff, 45, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Rececca Butterbaugh, 44, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of cocaine, three counts of possession of cocaine, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, and one count of wiretap violation.
–Robert Stewart, 39, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of cocaine, three counts of possession of cocaine, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–George Dixon, 42, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of marijuana and one count of possession of marijuana.
–Mary Weakland, 45, Rear Apt., Tyrone, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of Suboxone, and one count of possession of Suboxone.
–Matthew Barnes, 35, Rear Apt., Tyrone, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of Suboxone, and one count of possession of Suboxone.
–Patricia Tabor, 41, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with five counts of possession of cocaine/crack cocaine/Ecstasy, five counts of delivery of cocaine/crack cocaine/Ecstasy, five counts of criminal use of a communication facility, and three counts of conspiracy.
–Linda Lea Hartman, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of crack cocaine, three counts of possession of crack cocaine, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Amanda Nash, 24, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, one count of possession of crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Brian Murray, 27, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of Hydrocodone, one count of possession of Hydrocodone, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Christopher Ouelette, 23, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of Hydrocodone, and one count of possession of Hydrocodone.
–Renee Carey, 49, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Percocet and one count of possession of Percocet.
–David Murchison Jr., 34, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with seven counts of delivery of cocaine/crack cocaine, seven counts of possession of cocaine/crack cocaine, four counts of conspiracy, and four counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Alonzo Woody, 40, Portage, Cambria County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, and one count of possession of crack cocaine.
–Billy Nadal, 46, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, one count of possession of crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Justina Shanique Williams, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of crack cocaine, one count of possession of crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Lacey Lee Harber, 24, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with four counts of possession of heroin/cocaine, four counts of delivery of heroin/cocaine, three counts of criminal use of a communication facility, two counts of conspiracy, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
–Rahim Aquil Mobley, 19, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of cocaine/crack cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine/crack cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Sean Michael Stoner, 27, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of cocaine/crack cocaine, three counts of possession of cocaine/crack cocaine, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Justin Ross Straesser, 30, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of crack cocaine/cocaine, two counts of possession of crack cocaine/cocaine, and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Bonita Rogers, 54, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of Roxicet, and one count of possession of Roxicet.
–Edward Rickabaugh, 40, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of heroin, one count of possession of heroin, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Brenda Lafferty, 35, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of criminal attempt, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, and one count of theft.
–Antonio LaCroce, 25, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of illegal transfer of a firearm.
–Michelle Knab, 37, Blair County, is charged with five counts of conspiracy, five counts of delivery of crack cocaine, five counts of possession of crack cocaine, and five counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Derrick Dawson, 26, Philadelphia County, is charged with eight counts of possession of crack cocaine, eight counts of delivery of crack cocaine, eight counts of criminal use of a communication facility, and five counts of conspiracy.
–Clinton Cohen, 26, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with two counts of delivery of crack cocaine, two counts of possession of crack cocaine, and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Jackie Stahl, 41, Blair County, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, three counts of delivery of Roxicet, three counts of possession of Roxicet, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Jack Gilbert, 37, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Oxycontin, one count of possession of Oxycontin, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Dennis Beckwith, 37,Hollidaysburg, Blair County, is charged with three counts of delivery of Suboxone/cocaine/crack cocaine, three counts of possession of Suboxone/cocaine/crack cocaine, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Ronald Green, 55, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with four counts of delivery of cocaine/crack cocaine, four counts of possession of cocaine/crack cocaine, three counts of conspiracy, and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Bonnie Hornberger, 49, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Donald Dargon, 49, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of delivery of cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Ryan Harshaw, 23, Hollidaysburg, Blair County, is charged with two counts of delivery of Methadone, two counts of possession of Methadone, and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
–Eric Finelli, 26, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of delivery of Oxycodone, one count of possession of Oxycodone, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.