Posted on 09/06/2007 6:33:14 PM PDT by yorkie
A northeastern Pennsylvania cocaine ring that allegedly rang up sales of more than $31 million over three years was broken up Thursday as law enforcement officials announced charges against 40 suspects.
The arrests came after a seven-month undercover investigation launched after two confidential informants approached police with information about the sale of crack cocaine in the Hazleton area.
State Attorney General Tom Corbett said that some of the suspects are believed to be illegal immigrants - a disclosure that is sure to add fuel to the debate over Hazleton's now-defunct Illegal Immigration Relief Act.
According to a criminal complaint, undercover officers made numerous controlled buys of crack cocaine from two of the suspects, Rafael Lebron, the owner of a Hazleton barbershop, and Jose Gonzalez, an alleged member of the Latin Kings street gang.
Agents also tapped their phones and listened to hundreds of conversations between Lebron, Gonzalez and their customers, the complaint said. Between April 19 and July 11, documents said, Lebron's phone logged more than 21,000 calls, and Gonzalez's phone more than 17,000 calls.
The pair were supplied by the ring's leader, Jorge Rivera, 39, of West Hazleton, who imported the cocaine from New York City, according to court documents. The ring allegedly made more than $200,000 per week.
"This investigation demonstrates that gang members from New York City are moving into the Hazleton area to corner the drug market," Corbett said in a statement. "The pipeline of drug and gang related activity is constantly flowing from large cities, and as long as there is a demand it will continue."
As many as 33 suspects are in custody.
Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta has repeatedly declared that illegal immigrants are wrecking the city of more than 30,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at centredaily.com ...
Illegal aliens committing further illegal acts. Nobody saw that coming ...
I thought Hazelton banned illegals about two months ago?
Selling drugs in towns that Americans don’t want to bother with...
Wait until Lou Dobbs gets wind of this !
I think the ban is tied up in court...
good news!
God Bless Tom Corbett and Lou Barletta. They are men of great courage, trying to rid Pennsylvania of the twin scourges of illegal immigration and drug running.
$31M that only means they got the decoy.
Instead of our Congress fussing with laws for faggots, they should take violations of the law by these illegal dirtbags and concern themselves with securing our borders to stop this invasion....
Hazelton only exists because you have to take the exit off I76 to get onto another interstate (I80?). There was a dapper Demo Congressman that serviced this area for years. Don’t remember his name but he was thin, well dressed with a waxed mustouche. Looked like Snidely Whiplash.
ACLU took the case of the illegals to court and a Clintoon-appointed Dimocrap judge decided the new law was unconstitutional.
Barletta aims to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
The dimwit judge is named Munley.
Ah, now the drug bust makes more sense.
“Hazleton’s now-defunct Illegal Immigration Relief Act.”
What a doofus this writer Rubinkam is. The law is NOT defunct. Barletta is appealing Munley’s ruling. This is going to make its way all the way up to the Supreme Court.
“According to a criminal complaint, undercover officers made numerous controlled buys of crack cocaine from two of the suspects, Rafael Lebron, the owner of a Hazleton barbershop, and Jose Gonzalez, an alleged member of the Latin Kings street gang.”
Lebron and Gonzalea...Amishmen for sure!
That was Dan Flood.
And you're right. He looked to be out of central casting for sleaze.
That mustache, and I couldn't believe the cheap suit he was wearing. It was that bad.
The other thing I remember from the book was that something like *2* people in the area had bought flood insurance at the time of the hurricane.
Just damn, I am shocked speechless! ;)
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