By BRIAN FERRY
The carefully coordinated raids that resulted in the arrests of 39 suspected drug dealers from all over Warren County began at 6 a.m. with the detonation of a flashbang stun grenade in North Warren.
The multi-agency Operation New Beginning drug raids, led by the Warren County Drug Task Force, involved more than 40 local, state and federal law enforcement agents and struck at almost 30 residences.
The drugs the suspects are accused of selling include cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, prescription medications, marijuana and bath salts.
"Just about every hard drug you could imagine," Incident Commander Kenneth Klakamp, Warren County Detective and Sheriff, said. "The one drug that we didn't see was crack cocaine."
"This bust nailed petty drug dealers selling dangerous chemicals which wind up being injected into the veins of users," District Attorney Ross McKeirnan said. "We are not talking about blowing around a little pot smoke. This stuff destroys lives. In fact, there would have been four additional arrests today had it not been for four recent drug-related deaths."
Klakamp directed the operation. Special Agent William Mickle of the U.S. Forest Service developed the logistics and operation plan for the sweep.
Agents from the Warren County Sheriff's Office, Warren County Corrections Office, City of Warren Police, Conewango Township Police, Youngsville Borough Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Marshal Service and U.S. Forest Service participated in the operation.
The raids were the result of 18 months of separate investigations, according to Klakamp. Information from undercover officers and confidential informants led to the arrests, he added.
In addition to the 39 arrests, police are looking for five more suspects - John Filiatrauth, Brandi Cooper, Erick Wilhelm, Mary Stroup, and Jodi Wise.
Klakamp asks that anyone with information about the location of those suspects contact Warren County Crimestoppers at 1-800-83-CRIME.
After a briefing held at 5 a.m., the raids began at 6 a.m.
The first location hit was 206 Station Lane, North Warren, according to Klakamp.
Officers had reason to believe there were weapons in the residence occupied by Brandy Markham, 36, and Michael Moll, 46, who maintained video surveillance of the property. Agents from the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) used a flashbang stun grenade in the house before making entry.
A search of the premises yielded four firearms, a hand grenade, and drug paraphernalia, according to Klakamp. The Erie Bomb Squad was called in to deal with the grenade.
McKeirnan pointed to an "unprecedented level of cooperation among the various agencies. In particular, Sgt. David Gluth, station commander of Pennsylvania State Police, working closely with the Sheriff brought in state police resources including a Special Emergency Response Team."
According to Klakamp, the SERT is one of two state police units in the state designed to handle high-risk incidents.
Police believe much of the heroin in the county is coming from Jamestown, N.Y., possibly from Pittsburgh prior to that.
"Bath salts is our major problem," Klakamp said. "We suspect they are getting the bath salts online."
He said one former user of both methamphetamines and bath salts told him bath salts are "one hundred times worse."
"The wide variety of drugs and county-wide arrests involved demonstrate pervasive illegal drug activity in Warren County," McKeirnan said.
McKeirnan said he had a message for the drug dealers who were not captured in the Groundhog Day Raids: "The police know who you are and they are coming to get you. Today's operation is just a step in the disruption of illegal drug activity."
He said the county has a "very high rate of convictions" on cases of this nature.
All of the suspects captured in the raids were arraigned Thursday by District Justice Glenn Carlson and taken to the Warren County Jail. Bail amounts were set from $15,000 to $50,000.
Preliminary hearings are set for as early as Friday, Feb. 10.
Those arraigned Thursday include:
Stephen Allen, 208 Station Lane, North Warren, charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, and criminal use of communication device. Bail was set at $25,000.
Brandy Markham, 36, 206 Station Lane, North Warren, charged with possession with intent to deliver bath salts. Bail was set at $35,000.
Michael Moll, 46, 206 Station Lane, North Warren, charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver bath salts, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $50,000.
Correy Bush, 24, 723 Fourth Ave., charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver morphine, and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $35,000.
Travis McIntyre, 31, 37 Fifth St., Youngsville, charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver prescription medications, criminal use of a communications facility, and criminal conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver. Bail was set at $35,000.
Larry Johnson Jr., 49, 1 Frontier Dr., Youngsville, charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, and conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver. Bail was set at $50,000.
Ryan Hannon, 29, 606 Conewango Ave., charged with possession with intent to deliver Subutex, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Charles Sunderlin, 28, 516 N. Main St., Youngsville, charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver Oxycontin, and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Joseph Kuzminksi, 24, 213 1/2 W. Main St., Youngsville, charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana and Methodone pills, and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Robert Gurry, 47, 323 Park Ave., charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver Clonazepam, and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Janet Smith, 51, of 213 E. Main St., Youngsville, charged with four counts of possession with intent to deliver Methodone pills, and two counts criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Cassandra Perrin, 24, 19 Carriage Dr., Youngsville, charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, and three counts criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Mikki Pierce, 23, 212 1/2 W. Main St., Sheffield, charged with possession with intent to deliver bath salts, possession with intent to deliver pills, criminal use of a communications facility, and possession of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $25,000.
Cathy Rodgers, 43, 137 Pleasant Dr., charged with possession with intent to deliver bath salts. Bail was set at $15,000.
Joshua Stillwell, 30, 1284 Conewango Ave., Apt. C-3, charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and criminal use of a communications facility. Unsecured bail was set at $15,000.
Joshua Graham, 23, 1980 Cemetery Rd., Sugar Grove, charged with possession with intent to deliver Oxycodone. Bail was set at $20,000.
Brandon Zurkan, 20, 108 Frank St., charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver Oxycodone, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $50,000.
Mark Hamilton, 50, 63 Houghton Ave., Sheffield, and 36 Buena Vista Blvd., charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver bath salts, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of criminal use of a communications facility, and endangering the welfare of a child. Bail was set at $50,000.
Shane Williams, 22, 166 Riverside Lane, Irvine, charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $20,000.
Michael Hutley, 20, 4220 Miller Hill Rd., Russell, charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver. Bail was set at $20,000.
Andrew Armes, 20, 10471 Jackson Run Rd., Sugar Grove, charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Steven Loney, 40, 1855 Hemlock Rd., and 102 Hammond St., charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Valerie Glotz, 22, 309 Lincoln Ave., charged with three counts of possession with intent to deliver heroin, and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Lora Breon, 50, 11729 Route 27, Grand Valley, charged with possession with intent to deliver Oxymorphine, and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $20,000.
Nathan Campbell, 20, 691 Cobham Park Rd., charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver Oxycodone, and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $20,000.
Bradley Smith, 22, 15 Pleasant Dr., Sugar Grove, charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin, conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver, and nine counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $30,000.
Steven Walters, 28, 92 Thompson Lane, Irvine, charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver bath salts, and two counts of conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver. Bail was set at $25,000.
Andrew Vik, 20, 103 School Rd., Sugar Grove, charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver , and two counts criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $20,000.
Nicholas Pitner, 21, 10170 Jackson Run Rd., Sugar Grove, charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $20,000.
Andrew Yaegle, 24, 9 Dogwood Lane, Russell, charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin. Bail was set at $20,000.
Melissa Foreman, 46, 68 Houghton Ave., Sheffield, charged with four counts of possession with intent to deliver bath salts, four counts of possession of a controlled substance, and four counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Shane Tuszynski, 22, 308 Beech St., charged with possession with intent to deliver amphetamine pills, and criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Justin Nelson, 21, 108 Grant St., charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility. Bail was set at $25,000.
Jason Paden, 28, 10243 Route 27, Pittsfield, charged with possession with intent to deliver bath salts. Bail was set at $20,000.
Juan Castillo, 34, 68 Houghton Ave., Sheffield, charged with possession with intent to deliver bath salts, possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of a communications facility, and a traffic violation. Bail was set at $25,000.
