ENTERTAINMENT. That is why charges like involuntary manslaughter or assault are not being levied. Berks Weekly is an independent, locally owned digital newspaper covering the latest regional news and headlines in the City of Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania. "Numerous parcels destined for residences in Reading, Pa., were intercepted and seized by the postal service," Adams said. November 16, 2022 video 5 suspects, car caught on video after pistols, rifles stolen in. In May 2021, PSP provided the results of its investigation to Pennsylvania Senior Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino for presentment to the 45th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. David Mekeel is a general assignment reporter for the Reading Eagle. Stormcenter - School / Business Application. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Authorities said they charged the defendants with committing offenses involving violations of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code and the Pennsylvania Controlled Substance Act; delivery of controlled substances, which included bulk amounts of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity; corrupt organization; and criminal use of communication facility. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. At 450 S. 7th Street, Detectives found documents pertaining to the member(s) of the organization, documents pertaining to approximately $87,000.00 in funds from a bank account associated with Luis Madera-Pacheco. (AP) Authorities say an 11-month investigation that began with a drug overdose in southeastern Wisconsin has netted 106 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value up to $6 million. Authorities said they also seized nine vehicles, more than $200,000 in cash, and 21 guns during the searches. Authorities announced the arrest of 48 people during an . He also said the bust involved product worth a lot of money: 27.5 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $2.7 million and 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl that could sell for up to $1.6 million. "Clearly, the ones that have the high bails were the leaders of this corrupt organization.". On November 3rd and 4th, 2022, search warrants were obtained and served at the following locations: As a result of this investigation, the following summary of items of evidence were recovered and seized: The arrested individuals were transported to the Sheriffs Central Processing Unit and are awaiting arraignment. Authorities arrested Dean DaSilva in Shillington and William Roman-Aponte in Reading. Perform a free Berks County, PA public arrest records search, including current & recent arrests, arrest inquiries, warrants, reports, logs, and mugshots. "This amount is a fairly conservative estimate.". - . A 25-year-old Berks County man has been charged with sexual abuse of a child, along with other charges. Khmelnytsky, Ukraine. The investigation revealed that many of the suspects involved were also actively engaged in their own enterprise of selling many kinds of illegal drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, and prescription pills, officials said. The blue bags seem to be the bags that contain the substances that are causing all of the overdoses in our community, Adams said. 2022 Hugg Media Group. Berks Weekly is an independent and locally owned digital newspaper covering the City of Reading and Berks County. But we do believe there are other sources and they may still be active.. "People are dying every day from overdosing on some of the substances that were confiscated in this investigation," said Berks County District Attorney John Adams. Subscribe today: Man charged in connection with 2016 Amity Township fatal shooting, Penn State Health primary care practice in Reading moving upstairs to bigger, better space, Berks History center announces free admission for Veterans in 2023, Video: Firefighters battle 3-alarm house fire in Kenhorst, Eastern Berks Regional Police looking for suspect in robbery, kidnapping, J-Van Body awarded state loan to produce specialty vans for people with disabilities, Boutiques showcase bridal, sportswear and date night chic in West Reading Fashion Show. Error! Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams and Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced Thursday that twenty-seven defendants were charged with operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Berks, Montgomery, and other surrounding counties. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Those numbers are shocking, astronomical, Adams said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. He said they also confiscated several weapons and cash, including some from a secret compartment in Rivera's car. "Quite frankly, the common denominator involved in the deaths from the use of these drugs is the fact that, many times, the cocaine, the heroin, and the methamphetamine are mixed with fentanyl, which is a very lethal drug and is leading to our overdose deaths, again, increasing in this county," Adams said. "This is an example of the violence of this organization, and I'm hopeful that our streets will be much safer with these individuals now incarcerated," Adams said," Adams said. Officers seized 200 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl, 10.5 grams of suspected bulk cocaine, 141 bags of suspected cocaine packaged for street sales, drug packaging material. Papademetriou said his organization provides Narcan with no questions asked and urged people to arm themselves with it. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. There was an error processing your request. SHILLINGTON, Pa. - A drug bust has taken nearly $300,000 worth of illegal drugs off the streets of Berks County, according to law enforcement authorities. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor We will continue until we can stamp out the ultimate source.. Breezy at times too.. Mostly cloudy with a shower possible late. They said they also nabbed Devon Given of Lancaster, who's accused of helping to supply Rivera with bulk quantities of K2. Hector M. Rivera, 50, of Reading, PA; Dushawn O. Ellis, 31, of Reading, PA; and Bridget M. Thompson, 36, of Lancaster, PA were charged with various crimes related to corrupt organizations, trafficking individuals, prostitution, and other related offenses. Jeremy worked as a photojournalist for the Lebanon Daily News for seven years before coming to the Reading Eagle. Get local news text alerts on your phone: Text "berksweekly" to 610-426-1515 We're coming to get you,"O'Pake said. Error! Santoro said that after patients use one bag they become tired and fall asleep for a lengthy period. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Adams said that a Reading Hospital doctor told him that ingesting the powerful cocktail amounted to an outright poisoning. "They have armed themselves with weapons, to protect their illegal activities.". The investigation was led by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau's Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, with significant assistance from the Drug . Clearly, a bad batch of drugs landed in our community, and we are taking steps to stamp out this problem.. Berks Weekly is an independent, locally owned digital newspaper covering the latest regional news and headlines in the City of Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania. How Supreme Court ruling could affect how we use social media, RAW: FILE-JUSTIN BIEBER CANCELS JUSTICE WORLD TOUR DATES, Bruce Willis' wife getting help and support from dementia specialist, Bette Midler confesses to having 'some tailoring done' on her face, Prince and Princess of Wales pledge long-term support to therapy gardens, MCU star Jeremy Renner seen exercising two months after snowplough accident, Bette Midler unsure if Hocus Pocus 3 will happen. "This was a multi-million dollar drug organization with connections as far west as Los Angeles, California, as far south as Puerto Rico," said Berks County District Attorney John Adams, who announced results of the joint investigation during a news conference in Reading on Thursday. Berks Countians agree wholeheartedly, as they've voted SMYMCA Best Summer Camp seven years in a row. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. "During this investigation, troopers determined that Irizarry was associated with numerous other significant illegal drug traffickers," Adams said. Investigators also seized narcotics, drug packaging materials, and a firearm. Updated: 4:07 AM EDT September 15, 2021 READING, Pa. Berks County law enforcement officials announced Tuesday they have arrested three suspected drug traffickers allegedly responsible for. We will continue our efforts to stamp out the sources that are contributing to the scourge in our community said District Attorney John T. Adams. The suspected members of the drug ring taken into custody Wednesday were: Adams did not provide ages or addresses for the suspects. Authorities said they seized evidence that included 27.5 kilograms of cocaine with a potential street value of $2.7 million and 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl with a potential street value of $1.6 million. Adams issued a public health alert on Sept. 13 in response to the rash of overdoses. 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Crime Alert Berks County: Two sought in theft of $150,000 worth of jewelry. Sheriff's Office By Tyler Hayden Thu May 06, 2021 | 7:49am Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) During the same operation, Cooper's drug customer Comese Robinson, of Pottstown, PA, was also arrested and later convicted of similar charges in Montgomery County Court. Many of the chemical compounds are typical to what investigators find in street drugs, Adam said. 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