CLEARFIELD – A jury deliberated for approximately one-and-a-half hours Friday before finding a 64-year-old Bronx, NY man, Luther L. Ware Jr., guilty of bringing crack cocaine from New York and distributing it in the Clearfield area.
For an Oct. 9, 2014 drug bust, Ware was found guilty of conspiracy/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver (crack cocaine); criminal use of communication facility; and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Ware was found not guilty of a manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver charge in regards to heroin.
The drug bust occurred at Ware’s apartment on Turnpike Avenue in Clearfield. Prior to the drug bust, a confidential informant purchased $100 worth of crack cocaine from Ware. When undercover narcotics agents obtained and executed a search warrant, they seized crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana from Ware’s apartment.
For drug charges related to incidents from 2013 until his arrest Oct. 9, 2014, Ware was found guilty of conspiracy/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; corrupt organizations; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities; criminal use of a communication facility; and conspiracy/corrupt organizations.
Senior Deputy Attorney General David Gorman presented the case on behalf of the commonwealth. Ware was represented by defense attorney Jeff DuBois. Clearfield County President Judge Fredric Ammerman presided over the trial, which started Tuesday and ended today.
According to testimony from the trial, on Oct, 9, 2014, a CI made contact with Ware under the direction of agents to arrange a controlled buy of crack cocaine from Ware. The CI said Ware told them that he’d be coming back to Clearfield with a “boatload.”
The CI said once they arranged the controlled buy, the agent provided them with $100 in prerecorded advanced funds to purchase one gram of crack cocaine from Ware at his Turnpike Avenue apartment.
The CI said they entered Ware’s apartment and was let in by another local distributor. The CI said another female was inside the apartment and Ware entered later. When he entered the CI said Ware started to break up and bag the crack cocaine; the CI said they exchanged cash and crack cocaine with Ware and then left.
During the trial, several other witnesses testified to buying and or selling crack cocaine that came from Ware from 2013 until his arrest. A partner in Ware’s drug operation, Manuj “Glenn” McCoon, said he was recruited by Ware in 2013 to distribute crack cocaine and to collect money from the sales.
An agent testified that based upon their experience with drug investigations, Ware was the leader of the crack cocaine operation. The agent said Ware had others, such as McCoon, “D” and “J,” below them to facilitate their drug operation, as well as to try to insulate them from those on the lower levels and detection from law enforcement.
The agent said Ware had his people in the Clearfield area at all times selling crack cocaine and collecting money. While surprised by locating heroin during the search of Ware’s apartment, the agent said it was an indicator that he was a poly-substance dealer and “higher up the chain.”
Ware took the stand yesterday in his own defense. He told members of the jury that any witness who claimed he transported drugs from New York and distributed them in the Clearfield area was a liar. Ware claimed that he came to the Clearfield area as an “advocate” and “substance abuse counselor” for a friend’s girlfriend.
Ware claimed he absolutely didn’t have any involvement with distributing drugs in the Clearfield area from 2013 until his arrest. He said that he didn’t know the majority of the witnesses who testified at his trial for the commonwealth.