Pubdate: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 Source: Evening Sun (Hanover, PA) Copyright: 2007 Evening Sun Contact: http://www.eveningsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3512 Author: Shari Sanger Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Note: MAP archives articles exactly as published, except that our editors may redact the names and addresses of accused persons who have not been convicted of a crime, if those named are not otherwise public figures or officials. Note: Charge of "criminal use of a communication facility" mentioned throughout. HEARING TESTIMONY DESCRIBES COCAINE DEALS Brian Peters testified he first met "Will" about two years ago when he was buying crack cocaine from a man he knew as "Mike." He said if he couldn't get in touch of Mike, he would contact Will instead. And about once a week, they would pick a location where he would hand over the money in exchange for the cocaine, Peters testified Wednesday. Then "I would smoke it," the 35-year-old New Oxford man said. "I was an addict for a good while." Peters said the drug deals continued for the better part of two years up until a few months ago. And Peters eventually began arranging transactions for other people, including an undercover state trooper whose investigation led to charges against "Will," "Mike" and four others. The state Attorney General's Office this month charged the six people in connection with running a trafficking and distribution ring they allege in the past two years brought cocaine and heroin from New York City into York and Adams counties. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Magisterial District Judge Thomas Carr dropped charges of criminal conspiracy to commit possession with the intent to deliver cocaine against "Will" whom authorities later identified as [Name redacted], 22, of [street address redacted], Gettysburg. The other charges against him - one count of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, five counts of delivering cocaine and one count of criminal use of a communication facility - were forwarded to Adams County court. Another man charged in connection with the drug ring - [Name redacted], 22, of [street address redacted], New Oxford - waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday. He is charged with possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and criminal conspiracy. Both [Name redacted] and [Name redacted] remain in Adams County prison in lieu of $500,000 bail. They will be arraigned May 17 in Adams County court. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper John Brumbaugh Jr. testified he first met "Will" on Feb. 1 when Brumbaugh accompanied Peters to buy some cocaine. He said Peters called [Name redacted] using his cell phone to arrange the $100 transaction. When they arrived at [Name redacted]'s apartment, Peters went inside and came back out a short time later to Brumbaugh's vehicle with the drugs. Brumbaugh said as he was pulling away, [Name redacted] called his cell phone and asked him for a ride to New Oxford, and that he would "hook him up" for doing so. "I said, 'Yeah, sure.'" Brumbaugh testified. He said he dropped him off in the area of Water and High streets. And at that time [Name redacted] uncuffed his pants leg, where he kept seven to nine baggies of crack cocaine and handed one to Peters, who then gave it to Brumbaugh, Brumbaugh said. Brumbaugh testified he made several other undercover purchases from [Name redacted] at his apartment on Feb. 4, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. And on Feb. 23, police served a search warrant at the apartment where they found 5 ounces of cocaine and $2,000 cash, he said. [Name redacted] and [Name redacted]'s girlfriend were also inside the residence when the search warrant was executed, he said. After the testimony, [Name redacted]'s attorney, David Erhard, of Gettysburg, told the judge he thought the conspiracy charge should be dropped because the testimony made no mention of the man with whom [Name redacted] allegedly conspired. "It was interesting that Mr. [Name redacted] is a link in the chain here to this (drug) ring, but I think his involvement still remains to be seen," Erhard said after the hearing. The Attorney General announced the charges stemming from the investigation - known as "Operation Gotcha" - earlier this month. The investigation began in January 2006 and focused on the trafficking of nearly $1 million of cocaine and heroin from Brooklyn to Adams and York counties for redistribution. Over the course of the investigation, state police seized approximately 50 bags of heroin stamped "Gotcha" and "Never Broke," 6 ounces of cocaine and $2,000 cash, Attorney General Tom Corbett has said. He alleged that during the past two years, the group is responsible for the distribution of 8 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $806,000 and 60 ounces of heroin with an estimated street value of $126,000. Deputy Attorney General Heather Adams, who is prosecuting the cases, said Wednesday that the alleged ring leader, [Name redacted], 23, of Brooklyn, is still at large. He is charged with delivery of cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and criminal conspiracy to deliver cocaine. [Name redacted], 22, is currently jailed in New York City, on charges of heroin and cocaine delivery, possession with the intent to deliver the two drugs, criminal use of a communication facility and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity. [Name redacted] allegedly rented hotel rooms locally and used them as a base of operations for distribution and sale throughout the area. He also allegedly spent three days a week at a home in Gettysburg and used the residence as a place to sell cocaine. [Name redacted] made frequent trips to New York to purchase cocaine for redistribution locally and brought others - [Names redacted] - - from Brooklyn to the Gettysburg area to sell cocaine. Corbett said the group allegedly stayed together at the homes of local females in Gettysburg, were [Name redacted] sold cocaine. Members of the group also used local residents to rent cars, in their own names, in exchange for amounts of cocaine or heroin to use personally. The rental cars were then used to make trips to New York, where they would resupply themselves with additional cocaine and heroin. One of those women, [Name redacted], 19, of [street address redacted], Hanover, has not yet been arraigned on cocaine delivery and criminal conspiracy charges but is expected to turn herself in to police. And [Name redacted]'s girlfriend, [Name redacted], 19, of [street address redacted]., is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 28. She was released on $5,000 unsecured bail. She faces charges of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and criminal conspiracy. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman