A 21-month investigation by area and state law enforcement agencies has swept into action with the arrest of seven suspects involved in a Warren-to-Buffalo cocaine trafficking ring.
Four other suspects in the investigation were not apprehended as of late Friday afternoon.
According to a press release from Attorney General Tom Corbett's office, the investigation, known as "Operation Stateline Crackdown", focused on individuals who were allegedly using sources in Buffalo and Jamestown, N.Y., to obtain cocaine, which was repackaged into smaller quantities for redistribution and street-level sales in Warren County and surrounding communities.
Among the 11 persons arrested after indictments were issued by a statewide grand jury in Pittsburgh were two Warren residents Jacob Jackson, 26, last known address of 423 Rankin St., who was arrested on Wednesday, and Amanda Rayborne, 22, 28 South St., who was arrested on Friday. They are being held in the Warren County Jail, along with Jose M. Caceres, Jr., 25, Jamestown, who was also arrested on Wednesday.
Chief Deputy Ken Klakamp of the Warren County Sheriff's Department, who served as lead investigator with the Warren County Drug Task Force, said investigators began making buys in December 2008 with funds supplied by the attorney general's office.
Court documents on file at District Justice Laura Bauer's office in North Warren revealed that 134.54 grams (4.7 ounces) of cocaine was sold by the defendants. In addition, they also sold 12.1 grams of acetaminophen and 2 grams of a mix of oxycodone and acetaminophen.
Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office, said the amount indicated an intent to manufacture or deliver the cocaine as opposed to personal use.
Klakamp said the interstate crime was a matter of supply and demand, with $20 worth of crack cocaine in Buffalo selling sometimes for $60 within the county.
"This is a common problem in many rural parts of Pennsylvania, where larger cities and more extensive drug supplies are a short drive away," Corbett said in the press release. "We are committed to working with local police departments to attack drug sales on a community level, and also to use information from those cases to identify the drug traffickers and suppliers who are the ultimate sources for this illegal activity."
"As far as we're concerned, if they keep coming here from wherever, we will continue to arrest them," Klakamp said. "Beware."
In addition to the county Drug Task Force, which includes the Warren City, Youngsville Borough and Conewango Township police departments and the Warren County Detective Bureau, also involved in the investigation were the Warren County District Attorney's Office, Warren County Sheriff's Department, the Jamestown, N.Y., Police Department, Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department, and the U.S. Forest Service's Law Enforcement and Investigation Division.
The seven persons arrested thus far and the charges they face are as follows:
Jose M. Caceres, Jr., 25, Jamestown, N.Y., charged with three counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.
Darnell L. Catchart, 25, last known address in Buffalo, N.Y., charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine.
Jacob Jackson, 26, last known address of 423 Rankin St., charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.
Amanda Rayborne, 22, 28 South St., charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal conspiracy.
Trevlus L. Robinson, 24, Buffalo, charged with one count each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal conspiracy.
Joseph Traver, 23, 223 Steele St., Jamestown, N.Y., charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, criminal conspiracy and criminal use of a communications facility.
David Tyes, 26, Buffalo, charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of criminal conspiracy.
Traver and Tyes are being held at the Chautauqua County Jail; Cathcart is being held the Wyoming Corrections facility in Warsaw, N.Y.; and Robinson in being held at the Erie County Holding Center in the Buffalo area.
The four suspects still being sought are:
Lionell Jones, 24, Buffalo, charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of possession of cocaine and one count of criminal conspiracy.
Dontrell Wise, 24, Buffalo, charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine.
Bobby Smith, 23, unknown address, charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine.
Demetrius L. Tucker, 20, Buffalo, charged with four counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine.
Additional charges may be forthcoming, Klakamp said, adding that he anticipated preliminary hearings to begin within the next two weeks.
The press release from Corbett's office said the defendants will be prosecuted in Warren County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Douglas Wright of the Attorney General's Drug Strike Force Section.