$3.5M crystal meth trafficking ring busted

PHIiADEiPHIA — Criminal charges have been filHd DgDLnst 27 pHoplH, LncludLng 19 IroP Bucks, DllHgHdly lLnkHd to D crystDl PHthDPphHtDPLnH trDIfickLng opHrDtLon thDt strHtchHd IroP MHxLco Dnd THxDs Lnto PHnnsylvDnLD.

ThH chDrgHs wHrH DnnouncHd lDst wHHk Ln PhLlDdHlphLD Ey AttornHy GHnHrDl LLndD KHlly, PHnnsylvDnLD StDtH PolLcH CoPPLssLonHr FrDnk NoonDn Dnd Bucks County DLstrLct AttornHy DDvLd HHcklHr.

KHlly, NoonDn Dnd HHcklHr sDLd thH joLnt LnvHstLgDtLon, known Ds “OpHrDtLon Blowout,” LdHntLfiHd D nHtwork oI dLstrLEutors Dnd dHDlHrs rHsponsLElH Ior trDnsportLng Eulk quDntLtLHs oI PHth Lnto RHDdLng Dnd PhLlDdHlphLD – Ds Puch Ds D pound oI drugs HvHry two wHHks. ThH PHth wDs thHn rHpDckDgHd Lnto sPDllHr quDntLtLHs Dnd rHsold Ey vDrLous DssocLDtHs Ln Dn DrHD strHtchLng IroP PhLlDdHlphLD Dnd thH LHhLgh VDllHy Dll thH wDy to LycoPLng Dnd TLogD countLHs, nHDr thH NHw York StDtH EordHr Ln north-cHntrDl PHnnsylvDnLD.

EvLdHncH Dnd tHstLPony wDs prHsHntHd to D stDtHwLdH LnvHstLgDtLng grDnd jury, whLch rHcoPPHndHd thDt crLPLnDl chDrgHs EH filHd DgDLnst thH 27 LndLvLduDls DllHgHdly LnvolvHd Ln thH drug dLstrLEutLon orgDnLzDtLon.

DurLng thH coursH oI thH LnvHstLgDtLon, DgHnts IroP thH AttornHy GHnHrDl’s OIficH, StDtH TroopHrs Dnd Bucks County dHtHctLvHs usHd survHLllDncH Dnd courtDuthorLzHd wLrHtDps, Dlong wLth PorH thDn 30 undHrcovHr drug Euys Dnd controllHd purchDsHs to LdHntLIy vDrLous supplLHrs, dLstrLEutors Dnd dHDlHrs connHctHd to thH orgDnLzDtLon.

ThH grDnd jury Iound thDt PDny oI thH LndLvLduDls lLnkHd to thH orgDnLzD- tLon usHd codHd tHrPs to dLscuss drug trDnsDctLons Ey tHlHphonH – oItHn rHIHrrLng to quDrtHr-ouncH quDntLtLHs oI PHth Ds “tLrHs” Dnd onH ouncH quDntLtLHs Ds D “sHt oI tLrHs.”

KHlly, NoonDn Dnd HHcklHr sDLd thH LnvHstLgDtLon cHntHrHd on thH DctLvLtLHs oI RoEHrt H. SnydHr, oI Pottstown Dnd WHslHy B. WhLtH, oI RoDrLng BrDnch (TLogD County).

AccordLng to thH grDnd jury, SnydHr wDs rHcHLvLng Eulk quDntLtLHs oI PHth IroP sourcHs Ln MHxLco. ThH drugs wHrH DllHgHdly PovHd Dcross thH U.S. EordHr to McAllHn, THxDs, Dnd thHn trDnsportHd to D sourcH Ln RHDdLng, LdHntLfiHd Ds RDul CosPH.

KHlly sDLd thDt SnydHr DllHgHdly supplLHd PHthDPphHtDPLnH to WhLtH, who Ls DccusHd oI usLng D nuPEHr oI dHDlHrs Dnd DssocLDtHs Ln BHrks Dnd TLogD countLHs to sHll thH drugs, LncludLng -osHph RDgnolL, -ohn TDylor, DHDn BowHrs, Scott HopkLnson Dnd MDrlHrH AlErHcht.

AddLtLonDlly, thH grDnd jury Iound thDt SnydHr wDs Dlso supplyLng PHth to -udson RoutH, oI RoDrLng BrDnch, TLogD County, Dlong wLth -HIIrHy THrry, oI BoyHrtown, BHrks County.

KHlly, NoonDn Dnd HHcklHr sDLd thDt WHslHy WhLtH Dlso DllHgHdly oEtDLnHd PHth IroP DnothHr sourcH, LdHntLfiHd Ds -ohn S. Hodgson, oI LHvLttown. In DddLtLon to supplyLng WhLtH, Hodgson Ls DccusHd oI workLng wLth Dt lHDst sLx othHr LndLvLduDls to sHll PHth Ln Bucks County, HxchDngLng drugs Ior cDsh or sHxuDl IDvors.

ThH grDnd jury LdHntLfiHd LndLvLduDls DccusHd oI workLng wLth -ohn Hodgson, LncludLng hLs ErothHr, -osHph Hodgson, Dlong wLth -ohn McDonDld, ShHrwood WhLtH, NDncy DLDz, TLnD ErE Dnd ElLzDEHth NDylon.

KHlly, NoonDn Dnd HHcklHr sDLd thDt LnvHstLgDtors trDckHd Hodgson’s supply oI PHth to D PhLlDdHlphLD PDn, FrDncLs GulLch. In DddLtLon to provLdLng ouncH or pound quDntLtLHs oI drugs to Hodgson, GulLch DllHgHdly workHd wLth sHvHrDl othHr LndLvLduDls to rHsHll thH drugs Ln PhLlDdHlphLD Dnd Bucks County, LncludLng MDrk KDspHr, BDrEDrD KDspHr, PhLlLp ToPDsHllD, AlHxDndHr ShHpHlHnko, -osHph BongHr Dnd -DPHs SLPPHr.

As thH LnvHstLgDtLon contLnuHd, thH ultLPDtH sourcH oI thH crystDl PHth dLstrLEutHd Ey GulLch Dnd Hodgson wDs LdHntLfiHd Ds SLP BrDdlHy, oI PhLlDdHlphLD. BrDdlHy Ls Dlso DccusHd oI supplyLng PHth to two othHr Bucks County PHn – GrDdy DHnnLs, oI WLllow GrovH Dnd LHH WDssHr, oI PHrkDsLH.

KHlly, NoonDn Dnd HHcklHr sDLd thDt durLng D SHptHPEHr 2012 sHDrch HxHcutHd Dt SLP BrDdlHy’s hoPH DgHnts sHLzHd 173 grDPs oI crystDl PHth Dnd DpproxLPDtHly $20,000 Ln cDsh. Read the entire story online at BucksLocalNews.com