OIL CITY – Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI), along with local law enforcement, are in the process of arresting as many as 21 suspected drug dealers allegedly involved in drug trafficking in and around Oil City, Venango County.
Corbett said the 10-month long investigation, known as Operation Raw Deal, focused on the alleged distribution and sale of heroin and cocaine in Venango County. Evidence and testimony about the alleged drug sales was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges that were filed today.
The grand jury identified the principal figures in the drug organization as Leroy Birchard, 24, Venus, and John Watkins, 35, Cleveland, Ohio. Birchard and Watkins allegedly brought multiple-ounce quantities of raw heroin and cocaine from Pittsburgh and Hazleton on a weekly basis and repackaged the drugs for distribution and sale through street-level dealers in Oil City
Corbett said that between Feb. 2, 2006 and Nov. 8, 2006, BNI agents made a total of 39 controlled drug purchases in Venango County. The majority of the drug transactions occurred in Oil City, but drug deliveries also occurred in Franklin, Titusville, Sugarcreek and Cranberry Township.
Corbett said the drug sales occurred at homes, apartments and trailer parks in Venango County, as well as the library, fast food restaurants and various businesses in Oil City.
“This investigation demonstrates how pervasive illegal drugs can be, and how quickly communities like Oil City can become the center of a drug trafficking network,” Corbett said. “Today, we are sending a clear message that the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement are working side-by-side to address this problem, and that drug dealers are not welcome in any Pennsylvania community.”
Corbett said that during the course of the investigation BNI agents made six controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine from Leroy Birchard and two controlled purchases of cocaine from John Watkins.
The grand jury found that Brian O’Reilly, of Hudson, Ohio, was involved in the sale of heroin, along with the following Oil City residents: Jerry Buck, Misty Goodman, Anthony Hale, Kevin Hibbard, Wendy Hoover, Steven Jackson, William Scholl, Ronald Swanson Jr. and Kevin VanWormer.
Additionally, Corbett said the grand jury found that Birchard, Hibbard, Goodman, Scholl, O’Reilly and VanWormer were involved in the sale of cocaine, along with Jason Quigley, Shane Stahlman, Brian Reed, Jerry Breck, and Anthony & Kimberly Hale, all of Oil City. Agents also allegedly made a controlled purchase of ecstasy from Anthony and Kimberly Hale.
Corbett said agents are also charging several Venango County residents with delivery of other controlled substances. Shirley Crispen, of Oil City, is charged with the delivery of morphine; Sherry Luhellier and Rodney Plowman, both of Oil City, are charged with the delivery of hydrocodone, Wendy Hoover, of Oil City, is charged with the delivery of marijuana; and Shelley McElhatton is charged with the delivery of hydromorphone.
Corbett said the criminal charges against Shelley McElhatton were filed before Franklin Magisterial District Judge Robert L. Boyer, while the remaining criminal charges were filed before Seneca (Venango County) Magisterial District Judge Douglas Dinberg.
The cases will be prosecuted in Venango County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Douglas J. Wright of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
Corbett thanked the police departments from Oil City, Franklin, Sugarcreek, Cambridge Springs, Polk and Edinboro, along with the Venango County District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance and cooperation with this investigation.
Below is a list of the defendants and the charges filed against them:
–Leroy Birchard, 24, Venus, is charged with five counts of delivery of cocaine, five counts of possession of cocaine, one count of delivery of heroin, one count of possession of heroin and one count of criminal conspiracy.
–John Watkins, 35, Cleveland, OH, is charged with two counts each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Jerry Ray Breck III, 23, Oil City, is charged with two counts of possession of cocaine, along with one count each of delivery of cocaine and possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
–Jerry Buck, 34, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin and possession of heroin.
–Shirley Crispen, 50, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of morphine and possession of morphine.
–Misty Goodman, 28, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin, delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Anthony Hale, 25, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal conspiracy to deliver ecstasy.
–Kimberly Hale, 27, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of ecstasy, possession of ecstasy and conspiracy to deliver ecstasy.
–Kevin Hibbard, 23, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal conspiracy.
–Wendy Hoover, 45, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine, criminal conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia.
–Stephen Jackson, 23, Oil City, is charged with one count of delivery of heroin and one count of possession of heroin.
–Sherry Luhellier, 36, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of hydrocodone, possession of hydrocodone and criminal conspiracy.
–Shelley McElhatton, 43, Franklin, is charged with two counts of delivery of hydromorphone.
–Brian O’Reilly, 31, Hudson, OH, is charged with two counts each of delivery of heroin and possession of heroin, along with one count each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Rodney Plowman, 40, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of hydrocodone, possession of hydrocodone and criminal conspiracy.
–Jason Quigley, 23, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Brian Reed, 24, Oil City, is charged with two counts of delivery of cocaine and two counts of possession of cocaine.
–William Scholl, 40, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin, delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Shane Stahlman, 20, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.
–Ronald Swanson Jr., 25, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin and possession of heroin.
–Kevin VanWormer, 22, Oil City, is charged with one count each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin, delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.