Authorities intercept large drug shipments
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Coatesville Police Department arrested four individuals in connection with a large-scale drug interdiction operation.
On March 28, police intercepted six UPS parcels containing drugs that were shipped from California to various addresses in Coatesville and Downingtown. A total of 60 pounds of marijuana (street value $120,000), cannabis oils and drinks, crack cocaine, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $22,000 cash were recovered overall.
The defendants were charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, dealing in unlawful proceeds, conspiracy, and other related offenses.
Arrested were Larae Brickus-Bryant, 20, of Coatesville, Shabazz Ray, 44, of West Chester, Trevon Hogue, 29, of Coatesville, and Tyreese Raison-Lloyd, 23, of Coatesville. Magisterial District Judge Hines arraigned the defendants and set bail at $75,000 cash for Ray, Hogue, and RaisonLloyd. Larae Brickus-Bryant’s bail was set at $25,000 10 percent cash bail and she has posted.
District Attorney Deb Ryan said, “This case in another example of outstanding collaboration among law enforcement as we continue to take down drug dealers in this county. We will continue to do our part in making Chester County a safer area for all. Drug dealers have no place here.”
On March 28, members of the Chester County Detectives Drug and Organized Crime Unit and HIDTA conducted an interdiction check at the United Parcel Services Center in West Goshen Township.
Six parcels shipped from the same address in California to different names
and locations in Coatesville and Downingtown were identified with a positive alert by a drug detection dog for possible drugs. A search warrant was obtained for one parcel and approximately 10 pounds of raw marijuana, with a street value of $20,000 was found. The other packages were sent to the addresses listed as police conducted surveillance.
Later police observed Brickus-Bryant take one of the packages off the porch at 758 West Lincoln Highway in Coatesville and return it to the trunk of a Nissan Altima she was driving. She proceeded to 326 Walnut Street in Coatesville and went inside the residence. A short time later a man wearing a ski mask, later identified as Hogue, drove the same Nissan to other locations to retrieve packages at 327 E. Chestnut St., 705 Coates St., and back to 326 Walnut St. Police followed the car to 406 Fox Trail in Sadsbury Township where they observed Hogue bring in parcels.
A search warrant was executed on the vehicle and home. Police found approximately 44 pounds of high-end marijuana (street value of $88,000), six bottles of suspected cannabis oil (street value of $3,000), two bottles of THC drinks (street value of $200), onequarter ounce of cocaine (street value of $700), onequarter ounce of crack cocaine (street value of $700), nearly $22,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia.
A parcel that was delivered to 116 Washington Avenue, Downingtown, was picked up by Tyreese Raison-Lloyd and Shabazz Ray. They were arrested at a Chick-fil-A nearby shortly after. The parcel contained approximately six pounds of marijuana with a street value of $12,000. Both men also possessed approximately one ounce of packaged marijuana for sale (street value of $160) and $280 cash. The preliminary hearings are scheduled on April 10.