Connect with us

Pennsylvania

4 suspects arrested for allegedly trafficking $5M in narcotics from California to Pennsylvania

Published

on

4 suspects arrested for allegedly trafficking M in narcotics from California to Pennsylvania


DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of four men who allegedly trafficked millions of dollars worth of cocaine and methamphetamine from California to Pennsylvania.

At a press conference, District Attorney Jen Schorn named Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall; Joseph Byrne, 47, of Levittown; Khalik Kemp, 34, of Philadelphia; and Christian Garwood, 55 of Flourtown, as members of the “Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization.”

According to police, the group — allegedly led by Matthew Byrne — shipped more than $5 million worth of narcotics from coast to coast.

Investigators say they used objects like speakers to conceal the drugs as they were shipped through the postal service.

Advertisement

“The drug trafficking organization would ship roughly in each shipment approximately 25 to 30 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine by hiding them inside of large karaoke style Bluetooth speakers,” Schorn said Wednesday.

Investigators said Matthew Byrne traveled to Southern California at least twice a month since January, where he would spend two to three days buying cocaine and methamphetamine from drug brokers with connections in Mexico.

He would then allegedly ship the drugs to his brother’s home on Gable Hill Road in Bristol, Bucks County, and another home in Flourtown, Montgomery County.

“Those shipments would be received by their counterparts in Bucks and Montgomery counties and would later be prepared for distribution to individuals in our community,” Schorn said.

During the course of the investigation, three shipments were intercepted at a United States Postal Service facility in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advertisement

Authorities said nearly $1.2 million worth of drugs were found stashed away in speakers.

In total, investigators said they tracked 12 shipments to locations in Bristol Township and Montgomery County allegedly containing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs meant to be distributed on the streets.

“We can connect the dots,” Schorn said. “These drugs were getting into the hands of users shortly after being prepped for distribution in Bucks County and Montgomery County.”

On Monday, all four of the accused who reside in Pennsylvania were hit with several charges, including corrupt organizations and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Two other men in California — Ralph Brooks, 42, of Los Angeles, and Chaz Harness-Walker, 40, of Inglewood — were also charged.

Advertisement

However, they have not yet been arrested.

Authorities said the investigation, which involved both state, local, and federal authorities across multiple jurisdictions, was still active as investigators worked to determine the full scope of the operation.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, Spiros Karabinas, said the results of the investigation were a reminder to bad actors that drug enforcement is indeed a priority.

“We will continue to work vigorously to prevent them from being trafficked, distributed and ultimately sold throughout our communities,” said Karabinas.

All four Pennsylvania defendants were committed to Bucks County Correctional Facility on bail ranging from $1 million to $5 million.

Advertisement

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lauds State Health Funding Alongside Counties’ Success

Published

on

Pennsylvania Lauds State Health Funding Alongside Counties’ Success


Pennsylvania’s health secretary on Thursday touted the success of two counties in the state that landed in the top 100 of the Healthiest Communities rankings from U.S. News, along with funding in lawmakers’ recently approved budget for 2024-2025 that aims to create “a healthy Pennsylvania for all.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg-area flooding possible as Pa. gets up to 8″ of rain from Debby

Published

on

Harrisburg-area flooding possible as Pa. gets up to 8″ of rain from Debby


Tropical Storm Debby has been lingering over Georgia and the Carolinas all week, but it’s still affecting the weather much further north.

Parts of central Pennsylvania are under a flood watch, with rain and thunderstorms expected on and off Thursday and all day Friday.

AccuWeather models predict most of Pennsylvania will receive between 4 and 8 inches of rain by 8 p.m. Friday.

Debby has already affected the weather here: AccuWeather meteorologists explained this week that storms in the Harrisburg area on Tuesday were, in part, exacerbated by tropical air from Debby pushing into the region, adding moisture to the air.

Advertisement

Live radar over Pennsylvania:

Heavy rain from the slow-moving storm is coming next, and that could lead to floods in parts of central Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service warns.

  • More: Statewide weather alerts

A flood watch is in effect from Thursday night through Friday night for a large part of Pennsylvania, including Cumberland, Franklin and Perry counties. It notes that heavy rain and runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

Waterways including the Swatara, Conodoguinet and Yellow Breeches creeks and the Susquehanna River could see minor flooding. People in typically flood-prone and low-lying areas should watch for high water.

On Thursday, the Harrisburg area will see mostly cloudy skies and rain on and off, the National Weather Service in State College says. Thunderstorms are likely after noon. The Weather Channel says steady rain will move in after 5 p.m. Thursday and stay until Friday night.

There’s a 100% chance of rain Friday, the weather service says, and it’ll be breezy and warm, with a high temperature around 81. Most of central Pennsylvania is expected to get 2 to 4 inches of rain Friday, but some areas could see as much as 6 to 8 inches, forecasters say.

Advertisement

According to Accuweather, Debby is expected to track inland over North Carolina on Thursday, then curve along the Appalachians through the Northeast from Friday to Saturday. How much rain each state, from Virginia to New England, gets depends on how fast or slow Debby moves.

  • More: Tropical Storm Debby tornado threat increases for N.J.
Tropical Storm Debby

Rebecca Fanning, right, who works for the town of Sullivan’s Island, inspects flood waters as Charles Drayton, also an employee of Sullivan’s Island and his son McKain, 8, walk behind on Atlantic Ave. as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Sullivan’s Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)AP

Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is now a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds at 50 mph. It has spawned tornados and excessive flooding in the South all week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro expressed reservations to VP Harris’ campaign about leaving job as governor

Published

on

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro expressed reservations to VP Harris’ campaign about leaving job as governor


Gov. Josh Shapiro had doubts about leaving job in Pennsylvania to join ticket as VP, sources say

Advertisement


Gov. Josh Shapiro had doubts about leaving job in Pennsylvania to join ticket as VP, sources say

03:50

Advertisement

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was one to watch leading up to Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision about who would join her as running mate on the Democratic ticket.

Harris ultimately named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential pick Tuesday morning.

Shapiro’s team felt the Harris interview did not go as well as it could have, according to multiple sources familiar with the vetting process. On Sunday following his interview, Shapiro called the Harris campaign and expressed reservations about leaving his job as governor, the sources said.

Nonetheless, Shapiro spoke during Tuesday’s Harris-Walz campaign launch at Temple University in North Philadelphia and appears ready to campaign in his home state for Harris and Walz. He also reaffirmed his commitment to Pennsylvania.

“I love being your governor, thank you very much,” Shapiro said. “Every single day I go to work for you. I put my shoulder to the wheel and I focus on three simple letters in our alphabet, G-S-D. I focus on getting [expletive] done for all of you.”

Advertisement

“I am going to continue to pour my heart and soul into serving you every single day as your governor,” he said.

A senior campaign official for the Harris-Walz campaign told CBS Philadelphia they will not share specifics about confidential conversations between Harris and Shapiro, and that Harris supports the governor and his ability to deliver the commonwealth for the ticket come November.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending